


A New Legend

by defiersofthestars



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Ben Solo Needs A Hug, F/M, Redeemed Ben Solo, Rey Needs A Hug, Rey Solo, Soft Ben Solo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-03
Updated: 2020-03-03
Packaged: 2021-02-26 14:13:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 24,766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23004712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/defiersofthestars/pseuds/defiersofthestars
Summary: Star Wars has always been about family, love, and hope. That's what Rey and Ben Solo deserve most of all, and never death or loneliness. I wrote my version of the story of the Dyad reunited after defeating Palpatine and going to the Resistance.Hope you'll like my version of HEA. Reylo deserve much more than Disney gave.Inspired by: Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver's acting, such as it is (especially the interview about one understanding, gentle and tall husband, Daisy's SW rap and Adam's charity foundation).
Relationships: Chewbacca & Rey, Finn & Rey (Star Wars), Lando Calrissian & Ben Solo, Lando Calrissian & Rey, Poe Dameron & Finn & Rey, Poe Dameron & Finn & Rey & Ben Solo, Poe Dameron & Finn & Rey & Rose Tico, Poe Dameron & Rey, Poe Dameron & Rey & Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Rey & Rose Tico, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 1
Kudos: 21
Collections: #CelebrateBenSolo - A Ben Solo Fan Event, TROS Reylo Fix-it Fics





	1. Let him find the future

From somewhere afar came the sounds of gunshots, a rattle of metal and loud pops, which signified the explosion of another warship. The Resistance or the Final Order?   
  
Ben did not know this and did not  _ want _ to know. He was shivering, it was beginning to darken before his eyes, and all his thoughts focused on the small warm figure at his chest. Rey's eyes were very close, fingers continued to slowly sort through his hair.

A happy smile slowly slipped from his face. He leaned back and hit the cold rough stones of Palpatine's palace, but did not even feel them. Releasing Rey from his embrace, Ben was left alone again, in the grip of darkness.

Everything is as it should be.   
  
The lips Rey had recently kissed were seared by her breath. He was ready to give anything to see her smile again.

‘Wait, no! You’ve lost too much strength’, she said quickly, grabbing him by the shoulder. Ben tried to break free, but was too weak. His hands began to go numb.   
  
_ ‘No!’ _ he managed to think before shutting up forever.  _ ‘You can die again.’ _

She heard his thoughts. Her fingers clenched a little harder for a moment, and then relaxed.   
  
‘Now I'm not alone, Ben. And you too. Listen,’ her voice came from a deep well. She was echoed a few more; he managed to recognize the voice of his mother, who had once been humming him lullabies. Merging into one choir, they forced to concentrate and, in time with his slow breathing, repeated the oldest parting words of the Jedi Order again and again.   
  
After some time, he was able to make out the words.   
  
_ 'The Force is calling to you, the heir of Skywalker.’ _

Rey's hand became almost hot. Heat slowly poured over Ben's body, returning the energy that he gave up almost without a trace, and drowning out the pain from Palpatine's blows.

The monotonous sound of the Jedi voices pulled memories from the depths of memory, and one of them turned out to be the most vivid. In the twilight of a small room, sheltered by a warm and soft blanket, a seven-year-old boy lies. His parents are together and next to him - for the first time in a long time. A mother's hand strokes his shoulder. A familiar wry smile on his father’s face.   
  
‘We will always be with you, Ben,’ Leia promises, and the confidence in her voice makes him believe her wholeheartedly. She did not keep her word, but now he understood her much better than then.

The floor of the room flinched. The vision melted, bringing Ben back to the present. Shards of masonry glared at his back, and he felt that Rey's shoulder was beginning to really burn. Ben slowly opened his eyes and squinted. The black stone walls disappeared. A white fog thickened above them, in which one could see human figures. The closest ones were an old man with a gray beard and a tall one, somewhat reminiscent of Luke. Their hands laid on Rey's shoulders. Behind them were others, tall ones, short ones, with long ears and huge heads. Putting their hands on the shoulders of those ahead, they created an endless stream of the Force - and it concentrated in Rey. A white radiance emanated from her figure, as if she had already joined the ranks of the ghosts of the Force. Sweat ran down her face, mingling with blood from an abrasion on her forehead, breathing escaped from her chest with a wheeze. Bloodied fingers were red with heat.   
  
Ben hastily grabbed her hand, grimacing at the sudden movement. The fog slowly dissipated, and with it the ghosts disappeared. Rey's eyes snapped open, she swayed and gasped for breath. The last gleam of an unearthly radiance froze in her eyes; she blinked, and they again turned greenish brown. The girl, with a groan, squeezed into a lump and covered her head with her hands.

‘Rey? All is well, you did it. I also saw them, hear?’ Ben said, not daring to touch her.

Rey didn't move. He looked at her with amazement and fear. Even during his training with Luke, and then Snoke, he had never seen anything like it. Transferring energy from one body to another requires a huge concentration of forces, and it is impossible to imagine how a person who has become its vehicle for many generations of departed Jedi feels. Will her soul stand it?   
  
‘Please don't make me share strength again, okay?’ he finally said.   
  
Rey shook all over, and Ben was numb at the thought that she really started to lose her mind. Then she raised her head… and laughed out loud. He had never heard her laugh before.

‘Is Ben Solo joking?’ the girl squeezed out, holding her hands over her mouth, but could not stand it and burst out again, giving way to the accumulated tension. Ben blinked bewilderedly and then smiled - a second time in the last few minutes.   


‘Only when he comes to see the Emperor.’   
  
As if coming to her senses, Rey gasped and lifted her head. Through the crack in the stone slab above their heads, she saw small fighters, which, like flies around the banthas, circled at the destroyers of the Final Order.   
  
‘We are winning! Look Ben, Palpatine’s ships are falling!’ she exclaimed, slowly rising to her feet. And Ben noted that her last words did not hurt him. Star Destroyers no longer have his people.

He followed Rey with difficulty, as his muscles began to numb. Sensing something was wrong, she turned around and grabbed him, not being able to hide her grimace.

‘Hold on! We need to fly away from here, otherwise we will explode with them.’   
  
With difficulty rearranging his legs, Ben walked with her to the exit of the throne room. He managed to cast a glance at the place where the ghosts of the Sith once sat; now he saw only lightning piercing the sky above the collapsed wall. Before his eyes, one of the huge triangles in the sky disappeared in a bright flash of explosion.   
  
Rey slowly led him to a dirty, scratched fighter. It was a sign of the Rebels on the wing. The ship belonged to Luke.   
  
‘Climb up, I follow,’ she hastened. Squeezing together in a small cabin, they slammed the door shut. Ben threw back his head and closed his eyes, holding back a painful moan.

‘Hey!’ Rey pushed him sideways and took his hand in hers, the other continuing to configure the on-board systems. ‘Do not even think, otherwise I will pass out too’.   
  
The small fighter flinched and began to slowly rise into the air.   
  
‘Where are we going?’   
‘To the Resistance base,’ Rey stated tiredly, and it was clear that she would not accept objections. ‘They can help us there.’ She turned on the data transmitter and quickly dictated the message to her friends. Closing his eyes, Ben heard separate words: his name, Falcon, returned, emperor, perished, and watched as the shades of blue succeeded each other as they rose higher and higher. He managed to see the orange light that lit up the sky from the explosion of the last ship. Rey was silent, but he already knew her thoughts.  
  
‘After what you just did ... you're afraid?’ She squinted at him.  
‘I was not alone. All the Jedi came together to end the Dark Side once and for all. But you - you shouldn't have given all your strength!’

‘I have yet to recall the old lessons of the Light. But without you, the galaxy would have no chance. And do not argue  _ even now _ .’   
  
Rey smiled faintly. Her thoughts carried over to friends from the Resistance. Ben saw their faces: Chewie, C-3PO, Finn and Poe, and others. She was happy and at the same time worried - did they survive this battle on Exegol? Ben's eyebrows came down to the bridge of his nose as he thought about the upcoming meeting.

_ ‘My people killed their friends, destroyed their native planets. They will never accept me, and I do not want to live again in the midst of hatred and suspicion.’ _

_ ‘You won’t be’ _ , Rey thought about this quite calmly, without the usual fervor he often felt.  _ ‘They would not accept Kylo Ren but will be happy to help Ben Solo. Besides, now we have no other option.’ _   
  
The ship rocked, and Rey turned the helm slightly. Ben turned away, kneeling against the wall of the fighter.   
  
_ ‘There are enough other creatures in the galaxy that crave revenge. What about them?’ _   
  
Rey cut off their connection and lowered her head. Distant stars floated before Ben's eyes, but the light, which for many was a symbol of hope and fulfilled dreams, now pressed him. He felt Leia's lightsaber on his belt and realized that it was she who was his last hope of returning. Only mother knew the real Ben Solo.   
  
They went beyond uncharted borders. Rey turned on autopilot and spoke. 

‘You know that I also lost a lot of people. At one point, to myself. But I was always glad to accept help from those who wanted to change the world for the better. The Resistance is ready to establish a new order where there will be no place for war, and those who want only revenge have found a new meaning in life. I can’t promise you that it will be easy. But if you are ready to help, then in time you will be believed. I already believe you, Ben.’   
  
She turned to him. Ben forced himself to look into her eyes.

‘I'm tired of deciding which side I'm on. I want peace.’

Rey raised her hand and gently touched his cheek. Her smile, tired but calm, made Ben remember what it means to hope for the best. Not for the First Order or galaxy - for yourself.   
  
‘I know. Just be with me.’   
  
Ben closed his eyes and she pressed her forehead against his forehead. Now that they have begun to act together, the concepts of good and evil have ceased to matter. She saw remorse which tormented him at the thought of the destruction being done; she accepted his fears at the thought of the future; and caught a light, faint sense of hope that he had finally found something long lost. He felt her fear for friends, far less powerful, but just as desperate; he saw the horror of finding a family name, Palpatine. But most clearly was the imprint of the Force left in her soul by the hands of the Jedi from the past. He knew that she was ready to share this light with him, and accepted it, freeing herself from the burden on her soul.   
  
‘Explain to me,’ Rey asked a little later, pulling back slightly. ‘Why did you let me go so easily? Then in the desert and on your ship?’   
‘I wanted you to start trusting me again.’   
  
After a moment, Ben added:   
  
‘If you didn’t notice, I usually reflected your blows much more strongly. When you get angry, you start to make mistakes.’

She shoved his elbow in the side.   
  
‘Look, we are recovering! I hope Master Solo has time for a private lesson later?’

‘I'll check my schedule,’ Ben laughed for the first time.

Ahead, green tops of trees appeared, among which the Resistance base hid. Ships from all over the galaxy, large and small, formed a kind of airfield; between them scattered figures of people and other creatures in colorful clothes, with different skin colors and countless arms and legs. They were united by one thing - the joy of victory.   
  
Rey’s ship flew along a long cargo carrier, without attracting too much attention, and landed away from the jubilant crowd, in the middle of a gorge surrounded by white stones. In front of them was a thin path leading a little higher into a dense forest. On one of the nearest trees, a wide scratch appeared in the sun, which a lightsaber could leave.   
  
‘This is one of my training grounds,’ Rey said. But Ben's attention was different.   
  
A few meters away, with the ramp down, stood the Millennium Falcon, stained with soot, with chipped sides. Ben reached forward. As a child, he loved to run from cabin to cabin, bumping into his father and his friends, climb into the captain’s chair and imagine how he was going on a trip. Later, when Han’s absences became more frequent and longer, he began to hate the Falcon and often tried to break the engine or the helm from afar using the Force.

Two male figures emerged from the gloom and rushed at them like hell. Ben recognized them as Poe Dameron, the Resistance pilot, and his own former stormtrooper. Behind them, a small round white-red droid flew across the earth, squealing joyful nonsense.

‘Poe! Finn!’ Rey exclaimed joyfully. She opened the cab door, jumped to the ground and fell into the arms of young people. The droid, like a dog, rubbed at her feet. Interrupting their exclamation flow, Rey turned to Ben and held out her hand confidently.   
  
Slowly rising to his feet, he climbed out and stood next to him. The round eye of the droid stared at him; it immediately fell silent and hid behind Poe's legs. Daring to raise his eyes, Ben stumbled upon the attentive gaze of the pilot, whom he himself had interrogated several months ago. Finn lifted his chin and did not take his eyes off him, as if trying to read his thoughts.   
  
‘Ben Solo's back,’ Rey announced to them, squeezing Ben's hand. ‘He helped me destroy Emperor Palpatine.’   
  
The droid squeaked in amazement, and Rey's friends exchanged expressive glances. Poe finally broke the silence. 

‘Will Hux come here soon too?’ 

Forgetting his intention to remain completely calm, Ben looked at him in surprise. He explained:

‘Your general turned out to be our spy.’

‘He told us that you were looking for a way to Exegol,’ Finn added.

  
‘What?’ Rey exclaimed. The face of a red-haired man appeared before Ben's eyes, distorted by the usual grimace of disgust. Perhaps he would have been surprised earlier, but now there is no strength or desire left for this.   
  
Poe curled lips.   
  
‘I liked talking to him. But this redhead clearly aimed to take your place, you know... Ben?’

  
‘Dr. Kalonia,’ Rey interrupted. ‘She is here? At Exegol we had a hard time’.

‘She's waiting for you inside,’ Finn said. ‘And she won't tell anyone. The Falcon will not be missed, so you can stay. That's just…’

‘Rey, you can't hide forever,’ said Poe. ‘I'm sorry to have to talk about it right now, but sooner or later someone will find out that Kylo - that is, Ben - is here. Right next to those who have just lost their friends! Judgment is what they will demand at best’.

  
‘I'll deal with them, and over time…’

‘I'm afraid we have little time,’ Finn interrupted, ‘but there is too much grief.’

Ben felt his sincere concern - not for him, but for Rey. Finn has just voiced his deepest fears: the life - his own and of those who are nearby - could be much worse than death.

‘I'm sick of living in fear,’ snapped Rey. ‘Come, let's talk inside.’

Together they headed for the ship and immediately heard a loud roar.

‘WHERE'S HE?’

Rey snorted and looked at Ben.

‘ You better get ready.’

A tall, shaggy figure of Chewbacca appeared in the opening, and Ben couldn’t help but reached for a place on his side where his named uncle had once left a deep wound.

Chewie has not changed at all since their last meeting, except that the crossbow in bandaged paws looked newer. Having thrown off the weapon, he wrapped Ben in a fluffy hug and pressed him to his chest. The young man inhaled the smell of burning wool, familiar from childhood, and smiled.

‘FORGIVE ME FOR THAT DAY, BUT I CANNOT... HAN... HOW GLAD I'M! I KNOW YOU’LL BE BACK, BENNY!’

‘Benny?’ - specified Poe.

‘Thank you, Chewie, I'm glad too,’ Ben muttered, his head up. The little eyes of the Wookiee surrounded by red hair were full of tears. A furry paw ruffled his hair, and Chewie let out a loud triumphant roar.

‘MY BOY CAME HOME!’

‘Hush, Chewy!’ Rey laughed.

Ben turned to her with a smile and spread his arms. Chewbacca appeared in his life hardly more often than his own father, but each time he arranged a whole performance, telling about the adventures that he and Han had to endure. Finn, Poe, and BB-8 looked at him with all their eyes. It seemed that they were facing a complete stranger. But Rey seemed to know him well.

Inside, another guest from the past of young Ben Solo was expecting them - Lando Calrissian. He got fat, with the grey hair, but the grin remained the same as many years ago.

‘There is more pleasant news every minute. Good to see you, my boy.’ 

Lando held out his hand to Ben. After a moment, he shook it and was relieved to understand that the old acquaintance did not dislike him. Embracing him by the shoulders, as in childhood, Lando went in the direction of the wardroom.

‘You won’t be fooled by Wookiees, you really are,’ he continued good-naturedly. ‘You managed just in time to get into the heat. Wonder  where did you  get that from?’

On the threshold of the wardroom, he stopped and pointed a finger at Ben's chest.

‘I know it's hard for you now. For many years, I could not figure out your Jedi tricks. But one thing is certain for sure - Leia knows about your return. And she’s very happy about that.’

'Her ... is she here?’ asked Ben, hesitated.

‘Gone. But not for good, if you know what I mean. Come on, our doctor has very little time.’

An old woman was waiting for them outside the door. A screen was installed between the two sofas on which the beds and clean clothes were already laid out. The table for playing Dejarik was pushed against the wall, and a bag with medicines and portable scanners took its place.

Chewie greeted her with a loud exclamation: ‘BEN SOLO IS BACK!’

‘Of course, Chewie, everything happened as you predicted,’ Kalonia smiled tiredly. ‘Rey, Mr. Solo, stay here. I ask the rest to leave.’

Taking the scanners, the doctor examined each of them in turn. The abrasion on Rey’s head was quickly washed, ointment and bandaged, but the burns on her and Ben’s chests after the sorcery of Palpatine made the doctor frown.

‘Their treatment will take a lot of time. It seems that lightning struck you,’ she commented, applying dressings over the ointment. Rey, getting changed in clean clothes behind a screen, giggled quietly.

‘Lie down and rest,’ Kalonia ordered them. ‘I'll leave you some medicine — take it at bedtime. If you need something, your friends will tell you how to contact me.’

She went out and allowed the others to return to the room. Finn, Poe, Chewbacca, and Lando settled in chairs opposite Ben and Rey.

‘We are all happy for your return, Ben,’ Lando continued, as if no one had interrupted them. ‘However, this may entail some difficulties.’

‘I know,’ Rey said quickly. ‘I am ready to go to the headquarters and answer all questions.’

‘We already talked about this before,’ Poe objected. ‘Everyone here knew Leia and Han closely and would be ready to accept her son. But the past cannot die at your command, Rey. Hypnosis will not help here.’

‘Imagine yourself in the place of people on the field,’ Finn added. ‘What would you feel if Palpatine suddenly declared he had become a Jedi? Would you live in peace with him side by side? Or keep your hand on the handle of the blaster, waiting for the monster to return?’

Ben lowered his head. ‘Monster’. That's what he will be considered for the rest of his life.

Rey shot a fierce look at her friend.

‘I am ready to believe you and Kylo... Ben,’ he raised his hands, defending himself. ‘But there are many more who are not ready.’

'Then what shall we do?’ Rey asked. ‘To freeze Ben until better times, and then present to the world when everything will calm down?’

‘I could take over the negotiations with Leia’s council,’ Poe said, ‘Perhaps the heads of the allied planets. But the risk is still great,’ he nodded to Ben. ‘Sorry, but it is.’

‘I know,’ the impassive answer came.

Ben felt the despair of Rey, to which his own anger mixed in.  _ When will this end? _

A thought began to arise in his head, but before he could pay attention to it, Rey threw up her hand and caught a lightsaber torn from his belt in the air. BB-8, approaching a little closer, hastily backed away.

‘It will wait for now,’ the girl said with pressure and lowered it to her lap, without unclenching her fingers. Resentment flashed in her eyes.

‘It might work, actually,’ Lando said suddenly. Everyone in the room stared at him. Lando sighed, leisurely put forward his cane, leaned on it with both hands and looked at Ben.

‘Do you know what Luke did with Darth Vader at the Battle of Endor?’

‘He persuaded him to return to the planet together,’ Ben answered. ‘But the Emperor…’

‘Darth Vader got in the way of Palpatine to save his son, and they killed each other. Luke brought his father's body to Endor and buried with honors, revealing his real name - Anakin Skywalker. We waited too long for the victory and therefore reacted to this news without due attention. He died,’ Lando spread his hands, ‘which means he could neither support nor hinder us. People admired his courage and then engaged in the restoration of their planets. And Anakin disappeared.’

‘Wait,’ Rey frowned. ‘Are you suggesting... burying Ben?’

Lando looked at him sadly.

‘I suggest giving him a chance to start a new life without looking back at the past. Somewhere far from here,’ he emphasized the last words.

‘TO FLY WITHOUT HIS FAMILY? FOREVER AND EVER?’ Chewie cried.

‘I'm afraid so, buddy,’ Lando answered. ‘Being close, you and I will raise suspicions sooner or later.’

The Wookiee bitterly hit himself on his knees and howled. Rey looked at Ben, unable to read his mind. And he remembered the words that he had once said a very long time ago.

Let the past die. Kill it, if you have to.

‘I agree,” he said. ‘Let Rey announce my death. And tomorrow I will leave this planet.’

‘But then there will be no turning back!’ she objected, and almost went into a whisper. ‘This means  _ forever _ , Ben.’

‘You heard everything yourself,’ he snapped. ‘I'm ready for that.’

His confidence was reflected in the horror in Rey's eyes. In distraction, she raised a hand to her lips and let go of the lightsaber; with a soft thud it fell to the floor. Ben beckoned him to his belt. Feeling her gaze on himself, he completely closed his mind and drove away the insistent thought: are _ you _ ready?

On the way, Rey, keeping silent about her new name, told her friends the rest of the truth about how she first realized that their thoughts were connected, Palpatine's plans to regain power using their Dyad connection, and about the appearance of the Jedi at the most critical moment.

‘Now you understand?’ Rey asked hotly. ‘Understand what this means? He really came back.’

He was with her on the airfield. He heard screams and whistles, felt the clapping of hands on her back and shoulders, quick hugs. Rey walked slowly, rejoicing at the familiar faces in the crowd and wanting to give him a feeling of shared gratitude.

She climbed onto one of the fighters and spoke. At the mention of his name, silence reigned around. Jubilation was replaced by surprise and, somewhere, anxiety.

‘Where did Ben Solo come from?’ someone shouted in the front row. ‘I only know Kylo Ren, the former Supreme Leader of the Final Order. Who destroyed my home planet and must have died on Exegol!’

Ben, pacing the ship, lost concentration, and for a moment Rey flashed through the cockpit of the Falcon before his eyes.

‘Kylo Ren is dead!’ Rey shouted, feeling tears coming to her eyes. After a second, she will forever deprive him of the way back. ‘As is Ben Solo. He gave his life to destroy the Dark Side forever. And deserves our gratitude.’

‘Palpatine was also called dead!’ the furious answer followed. ‘However, who gave the order to kill our friends in the Unknown Regions? Where is the guarantee that Kylo, Ben - no matter - did not bewitch you? What if his troops are already nearby? Now, over our heads?’

A movement began in the crowd, someone began to look around in fright. Rey's eyes turned into two prickly lights, and sadness gave way to rage. If he had to leave this world forever, then not in a lie.

‘Oh no, there is a difference, and quite a big one. Kylo Ren died, giving way to Ben Solo. A Jedi by blood and spirit. He returned to the light, and without his sacrifice, neither you nor I would have stood here now! Ben died before my eyes,’ she waved her hand, feeling the eyes of hundreds of pairs of eyes on her, ‘disappeared into the air without a trace.’

‘Like Leia,’ someone said very close.

Maz Kanata stepped forward. Rey shared Ben's excitement, and together they did not take eyes off her.

‘General Organa,’ the pirate's voice creaked like an ungreased wheel, ‘has already said her word to all of us. She gave her life but managed to bring her son home. All Skywalkers were powerful Jedi, and the Sith wanted to see them in their ranks. You do not know, my boy, what the temptation of the Dark Side is, and you will never be able to find out. Ben’s grandfather returned to the light at the same cost of his life’, small eyes, magnified by glasses, glared at Rey's face, ’so let us rejoice at the appearance of another Skywalker hero. The new world will need new legends. Ben Solo is now one of them.’

Maz Kanata winked at Rey. It seemed to Ben that she was looking directly at him.

‘I've already fought enough,’ Poe added loudly. ‘I think you do too. Today we will celebrate the victory - and mourn our old and new allies. And tomorrow, representatives of different planets together will begin to develop a plan for our common future. We will live!’

‘We will live!’ Finn picked up.

‘We will live!’ the others followed them. Rey felt Ben disappear.

She went down to the ground, and Poe immediately appeared next to her. Having warned about tomorrow morning meetings at the headquarters, he lowered his voice to a whisper and added:

‘Tell him that he will be safe here today. I promise.’

***

Ben was expecting her at the door of the wardroom. The ramp rose, and silence reigned on the ship. Rey spread her arms.

‘You are free’.

He was silent, overwhelmed by the emotions that lurked behind these words. Rey did not take her eyes off him, as if seeing for the first time and trying to figure out what he would do the next second.

‘I think that’s all for today. Come in’, she pulled his sleeve back into the room.

On the table by the wall were the glasses of Doctor Kalonia's strengthening nectar. After the last sip, their bodies fell into a dream, but the minds reunited.

_ 'It seems we did a pretty good job.’ _

_ ‘I liked your words. I’m not as optimistic as Poe, but I hope that he will succeed’. _

_ 'You first mentioned hope, noticed?’ _

_ 'Ben?’ _

_ 'I know you're holding something back. What's the matter?’ _

Ben saw Rey's face in front of him. Finally, they had time to talk without haste, but no words were found. He ran his fingers over her palm, and Rey, sleeping a few meters away from him, smiled encouragingly.

_ ‘We were connected long before you got here. Open your heart’. _

A few moments passed. Rey was waiting. Looking into her eyes, Ben decided that he no longer wanted to hide.

_ ‘The new world will belong to you and the Resistance. I have no place in it. And I never had.’ _

His thoughts slipped from the shelter of memory towards Rey, who allowed her to do the same.

They joined up like a Force Dyad again, accepting each other without any secrets. They became closer than people would ever be able to. Before eyes, vivid pictures of the farthest memories, fears and forgotten dreams flickered. They smiled, frowned, could not hold back tears, argued without a word or agreed without presenting arguments. Around them the faces of Luke, Leia, Palpatine and others flashed, together with Darth Vader's mask and Rey's baby doll dressed as a rebel. There were distant silhouettes of Endor and Jakku. When silence reigned a few hours later, Ben looked regretfully at Rey, and tears slowly flowed down his cheeks, dripping onto the pillows.

_ ‘I should not think about it.’ _

_ ‘Sorry.’ _

_ ‘Sorry.’ _

Rey cried too, but smiled. She reached out and touched his palm, as for the first time by the fire on Luke's island, repeating mentally and aloud.

‘You no longer need to apologize.’

Ben's face lit up.

In the wardroom, Rey opened her eyes and sat down. In front of her a real Ben stood. His hair was tousled after a restless sleep, a white hospital shirt, unbuttoned on his chest, revealed a terrible purple scar, similar to the twisted branches of trees. It was as if he had become taller, getting rid of the burden that he had carried inside himself for many years. Even the dark eyes became different - now you could see golden sparkles in them. Sitting next to Rey, he took her in the face in the palm of his hand and began to kiss - on the nose, cheeks, lips, the forehead.

‘Ben…’ Rey breathed, laughing. There were still tears in her eyes. With a smile, he wiped them with his fingers and tucked a strand of hair over her ear. The other hand slipped below and stopped near the collarbone, where the same dark traces were visible on Rey's pale skin.

Her laughter froze. The girl touched Ben's chest with her fingers and looked into his eyes.

‘You deserve to have a future.’

Ben hid his face on her shoulder and closed his eyes. With her arms wrapped around her, Rey swayed from side to side, as if cradling a small child. Outside, like thirty years ago, festive fireworks lit up the sky.

***

The main hangar, which temporarily became a conference room, was very noisy. Sitting on the noses of fighters in front of a huge map of the galaxy, Poe, Finn, Rose and Leia's former advisers discussed plans for the future distribution of forces. It was necessary to accurately estimate the number of planets that fell under the fire of the Final Order; make sample lists of survivors and distribute them among the remaining planets; deal with the remaining units of the stormtroopers (Finn insisted that everyone should have a chance to surrender and join the Resistance); schedule reconnaissance patrols; get medicines, weapons and ammunition; and much more that required quick and decisive action.

‘Greens are ready to go to the planets of the Western frontiers, in the direction of Jakku…’

‘The detachment from the Outer Ring has just returned — there is nothing left.’

‘Poe, what about the Unknown Regions? Are we going to go back there?’

Poe shouted, joked, persuaded and argued, rarely managing to keep calm.

‘How did Leia coped with this?’ he sighed.

‘A royal blood, General Dameron, works wonders,’ C-3PO politely responded.

‘Speaking of blood…’ Poe craned his neck but didn’t see the familiar face in the hall. ‘I’ll go for a walk’.

Slipping outside, he walked straight to Rey's training site. The Millennium Falcon stood still, not giving out its new asylum status. When approaching, the ramp slowly lowered.

He found them in the wardroom. The  Dejarik table returned to his place, and the ghostly figures were commanded by Chewie and Ben. Rey sat next to them, slowly eating a sandwich.

‘Hello everyone,’ said Poe slowly, frozen on the threshold at the sight of an unexpected peaceful scene. Chewie waved to him without looking, Ben nodded. Rey smiled and patted the sofa next to her.

‘Sit down, they are almost done.’

Poe obeyed and, having forgotten about the purpose of the visit, began to watch the game with her. And more precisely - for Ben. An insidious but by no means frightening smile played on his lips. The movements were light and confident, as if playing Dejarik on the Resistance base was usual for him. Poe glanced at Rey and caught her happy gaze. Without the Jedi "tricks", as Lando put it yesterday, it certainly could not have done.

‘I'm sorry, Chewie,’ Ben sighed heavily and leaned back in his chair, ‘but it's a loss.’

Ben's holographic Savrip jumped onto the Wookiee's Molator, and it disappeared with a mournful roar. To the annoying screams of Chewie, miniature fireworks flashed over the playing board. Rey held out her hand, and he and Ben hit palm on palm.

‘I can't believe you made it…’ Poe gasped in shock. ‘He always cheats!’

‘Yes,’ Ben nodded and grinned. ‘But we both learned to play with my father.’

Rey choked on a sandwich and buried her forehead on Poe's shoulder, snorting with laughter. He opened his mouth.

‘I WILL GIVE YOU THIS GOODBYE VICTORY, BEN SOLO,’ Chewie muttered with a mocking insult and disappeared behind the door.

Ben gravely got up and pulled out his shirt. Rey, putting the last piece of sandwich in her mouth, shook off her hands and reached for her backpack.

‘Speaking of which,’ Poe recalled. ‘I wasn't joking about the meeting yesterday. I need help! The guys from Malaster are completely crazy, they do not want to give us attack aircraft. Finn certainly insists on a pardon, but I'm not sure…’ he hesitated, watching Rey fold her clothes. ‘What are you doing?’

The girl glanced at Ben and said nothing.

‘Wait, wait, wait,’ Poe got to his feet. ‘Are you flying with him? When will you come back?’

‘We'll make a short stop,’ Rey said softly, looking into Poe’s eyes. ‘And then... then we'll move on. Where no one finds Ben.’

‘Where? What?’ - Poe asked confusedly. ‘Rey, did you decide to leave us?’

Without waiting for an answer, he eagerly continued:

‘But your place is here! What about our plans to create a new world where there will be no slavery? Where no one will be afraid?’

‘The Jedi have always been defenders of peace in the galaxy,’ Rey answered calmly. ‘But they should not engage in politics - I think you yourself understand why. I do not want anyone to succumb to the temptation to establish a dictatorship with the Force again. Staying here, I myself can become the reason of it.’

‘You don't trust us? Do you think that we will use you for our own purposes?’ Poe cried and cast a suspicious look at Ben.

‘You said by yourself that you cannot be responsible for all members of the Resistance!’ - Rey objected. ‘I do not want to give reason to think that the new world can go the old way.’

Poe measured her with an angry look and turned away. After today's discussions, he often found himself thinking that Rey's reputation could help strengthen the influence of Leia's headquarters among the allies. This was unfair.

‘So, a galaxy without the Jedi?’ he asked with a sad smile.

‘A republic without the Jedi,’ Rey corrected. ‘I do not know where we will go, but I promise to inform our coordinates. If we feel something unusual in the Force, I will immediately let you know.’

She went up to him and put her hands on his shoulders.

‘I believe in you, as Leia did. She entrusted you with the leadership of the Resistance, because she knew that you could lead him to victory. You are a leader by calling, Poe. But I'm not a politician, and the idea of becoming it now does not appeal to me. My dream was to find a family; it was given to me by the Resistance. But my real place is not here’.

‘So by him?’ - Poe said with his eyebrows raised and nodded towards Ben. Rey tilted her head to one side.

‘Ben fulfilled his destiny and earned peace. As I did.’

Poe sighed heavily and lowered her hands.

‘I will count it as a feature of the Dyads of the Force. I’ll accept your decision, but you bear in mind that the BB-8 will be furious.’

Rey laughed, and even Ben allowed himself to grin. 

‘And what are you going on? The Falcon will be too noticeable even at distant frontiers’.

‘Maz Kanata promised to bring us one of her ships,’ Rey said, throwing her backpack over her shoulder. ‘Are you ready, Ben?’

‘Ready,’ the voice of the former Supreme Leader was soft and calm.

Poe concluded from Rey’s yesterday hasty story that she and Ben had managed to get to know each other quite well. Despite the external differences, seeing them together was... natural. Their couple radiated harmony and calm confidence that everything was going as it should.

Together they walked to the ramp. Ben ran a hand along the wall of the ship, as if saying goodbye, and bowed his head. Rey pressed the lever, opening the gateway, and smiled encouragingly at him.

‘The Falcon is in good hands, isn't it, Poe?’

A whole delegation was already waiting for them on the grass. Finn, Lando, Chewie, Maz Kanata, and droids: R2-D2, C-3PO, BB-8, and his new friend D-O. Behind them, a small transport ship stood - pointed, light gray and without identification marks.

‘One of the latest from Corellians,’ Maz commented, looking at the curious faces of Ben and Rey. ‘Of course, its owner was not as talented as Lando and Han, but you will find some useful things inside. There should be enough money and food for the first time.’

She came close to Ben and looked up at him. Rey hastily turned to Finn.

‘So what's your secret? Can you tell me at least now?’

After hesitating, her friend answered.

‘I feel the Force too. Not good enough to become a Jedi or to control the mind, but enough to discern a lie. Sorry, I didn’t know how you were about this…’

He fell silent, caught in Rey's arms.

‘I'm glad,’ she whispered. ’Very glad. Poe cannot have a better adviser. Thank you for everything.’

‘I hope you will be happy,’ Finn smiled, ‘and that now you are not flying to Jakku.’

Rey grimaced at him. She made Chewie promise not to give Poe a hobby for hyper jumping and stopped in front of the droids. BB-8 squealed excitedly, preventing others from inserting a word.

‘I will miss you too. But I have to fly. No, I will never find a droid better than you. And Ben too. He’s a good man, don’t worry,’ Rey answered patiently and stroked the thin antenna on the top of the droid. ‘Of course, he will take care of me.’

She straightened up and again fell into the arms of Chewie - along with Ben. Fluffy fur tickled her nose.

‘I WILL STAY ALONE AT ALL!’

‘What?’ Lando was surprised and slapped him on the shoulder. ‘Cheer up, buddy. You and I will have a lot of work.’

‘SAVE YOURSELF, BENNY. AND REY TOO.’

‘Indeed, Chewie,’ Ben promised, freeing himself from his arms. ‘Practice more in Dejarik. And take this’, he put a small disk in his paw. ‘Here are the access codes to the databases of the First Order about all known planets. Perhaps something is still here and will come in handy.’

Lando put hands on his shoulders and shook slightly.

‘You have a whole life ahead of you, boy. Don't waste it.’ 

He winked at Rey and stepped aside.

‘May the Force be with you,’ Maz said.

Rey froze, unable to take eyes off her friends. It was hard to part, but she knew that now they certainly would not follow her. Ahead is the creation of a new galactic Republic. She looked at Ben and nodded, answering a silent question. They turned and went to the new ship.

‘Wait a minute!’ exclaimed Poe, rushing after him with Finn. Stopping in front of Ben, he held out his hand. ‘Good luck.’

After a moment, Ben shook her.

‘And you. Think of Hoth - it is a vast snowy desert, and Malaster lacks clean water.’

The stunned Poe nodded. Shaking Finn's hand, Ben opened the cockpit and climbed inside. Rey waved her friends one last time and followed him.

Ben set up on-board systems in the chair of the first pilot.

‘A course on Tatooine?’

‘Tatooine,” Rey confirmed, sitting down next to him and listening to the noise of the engine. ‘Maz did not stint, it works like a new one…’

Ben grinned and pulled the helm. Slowly taking off the earth, the ship went into a peak and switched to supersonic speed, until two yellow suns appeared ahead.

***

A dry wind ruffled clothes and drove sand towards an abandoned stone house. On the walls, untouched by the rain, there were black traces of soot. Hiding inside, Rey and Ben knelt down and raised their hands over a small bundle of soft leather. Inside were two blue cyber crystals from Luke’s and Leia’s lightsabers. Obeying the will of the Jedi, the package flinched and began to sink, hiding its precious burden under tons of sand in the bowels of the planet. it stopped a few seconds later, when neither Ben nor Rey could no longer hear the call of the Force coming from ancient stones. When they got to their feet, the ground looked untouched.

Having climbed to the surface, Rey turned to Ben and wanted to pull out the hilt of the sword, but he stopped her. In the distance a ronto appeared, loaded with bales, which was led by a short old woman.

‘It has been a long time since we had strangers,’ she remarked, stopping next to the ship. Ben waved a hand in front of her face and became invisible. ‘Where are you from?’

‘From far beyond,’ said Rey. ‘My family is buried here.’

‘I'm sorry, dear. I'm Ennilyn Colwell, maybe we knew each other. What were the names of your relatives?’

‘Their last name is Solo. And I'm Rey Solo.’

‘Solo? I don’t know such ones... soon I don’t remember myself either,’ the old woman lamented. Forgetting about Rey, she yanked the ronto and hobbled away.

After waiting for her to move away, Ben turned to Rey and crossed his arms over his chest with mock surprise.

‘Rey Solo?’

‘Yes. Here is my real name.’

Ben froze in mid-sentence, looking behind her. Rey turned sharply and blurred into a smile.

Two white figures appeared next to them in the trembling air of heat. Despite the bright suns, they were clearly visible. It was Luke and Leia. Ben’s uncle's blue eyes were full of tears. Mother did not take her eyes off him, full of tenderness. Ben stepped toward them, slowly pulled a lightsaber from his pocket and pressed the lever. A yellow blade cut through the air with a roar, the color of the Jedi Sentinel. After a moment, Rey lit exactly the same. The ghosts lips moved at the same time, naming the coordinates, then Leia raised her hand, and they melted in the air.

‘Goodbye, mom,’ Ben whispered. Rey clung to his chest, and he hugged her shoulders. The lightsabers went out.

‘It seems now clear where we will go next.’

Covering their eyes with their hands from the bright light, they climbed back into the cabin. Ben plugged the numbers into the on-board computer and froze, waiting for the map to load.

‘Ben?’

‘Yes?’

‘What did Maz say to you? While giving the new kyber crystals?’

Before Ben's mental gaze, the pirate's tortoise face appeared. Rey looked at him, eyes wide.

_ ‘Want me to say why they helped you? Your sacrifice is yet another proof of their greatest mistake: there is a place for feelings in the life of a Jedi. The greatest of them is love. It gives birth to hope. There are both Light and Darkness in each of us, and only by accepting this you do gain the true freedom. Give the legend of Ben Solo to us, and let him find the future.’ _

‘You know, Rey Solo,’ he added at the end, ‘it seemed to me that Maz had in mind not only me’.

‘I love you, Ben Solo,’ Rey said, and kissed him. Before their eyes pictures shown by Luke and Leia appeared: sparkling waterfalls in the sun, surrounded by hills, quiet streets and houses - beautiful creations of architecture with huge windows, which reflected endless meadows.

A map of the galaxy appeared on the computer display. In place of the desired planet, a blue light flashed.


	2. The oneness

_ Peace is impossible without emotionб, as ignorance is without knowledge. _

_ Passion does not preclude clarity of thought. Chaos is replaced by harmony. _

_ Attachment is the source of my strength. Restraint is my freedom. _

_ Light and darkness. I accept both sides. _

  
  
  


In the Jedi Temple on Ahch-To, the Lanais gathered. Slowly and quietly they walked around two figures hovering in a soaring meditation over the mosaic, which symbolized the Balance. Their breath was barely audible; hands were turned palms up. They remained in the same position for many, many hours, as required by the ritual of the Prime Jedi, the creator of the Dyad, Daige Qi. The rite of absolute unity with the Cosmic Force. Going beyond physical envelopes and gaining awareness.

There were no Lanais on the islands who have seen the ceremony with their own eyes. Living ones read about it in ancient scrolls and succeeded each other at posts next to unexpected guests. One of them, they already knew: a girl who touched the darkness, like a warm flame that swirls in the wind. The second was a boy who rushed about in gloom until he followed her light. As soon as their ship touched the earth, the guardians felt a force equal to which they had never met. Together, these two radiated light, invisible but felt.

Cold streaks of fabric wet their foreheads. The healing wounds were washed and a drop of fish broth was poured into ajar mouths, although not one of the Jedi felt hunger. Faces remained impenetrable. One half of the soul needed to be reminded of the path to the Light side of the Force. Another is to explore its dark depths. Finding themselves in the middle of infinity, pierced by the shimmering strings of stars, together they listened. They watched. Calmed. Remained between the two sides, connecting them in harmony.

They covered every creature, plant and animal. Cold snow cliffs and raindrops, the rays of the sun in distant worlds. But it was neither Ben nor Rey. There was a common soul, frozen in the midst of flying stars and planets, watching the restoration of the galaxy after the war. Woe and joy, dizzy rage and absolute peace. The galaxy was reborn and filled with opposites; The dyad was healed and knew the depth of his strength.

There were other Jedi next to it. It recognized their voices — more images than sounds. Luke, assured of hope and full of remorse; now he has received forgiveness. Leia, whose sorrow gave way to joy: her son came back home. Anakin, who better understood the importance of balance; with him were the joy of his children and longing for lost love.

The presence of the Dyad was felt by all who felt the Force. Somewhere, Maz smiled pretty; Finn's eyes softened; relieved nodded the Lanais. For the rest, it was like a ray of light in a dark veil of clouds; a slight gust of wind in the heat or immersion in the saving darkness, where you can hide from the hunter. It was a moment when you understand: not everything is lost.

Somewhere in the back of the mind, a flash flickered. The Dyad’s attention has focused. Another one, similar to a memory; blinked and immediately disappeared the contours of the forest. There was no indignation in the Force that would indicate a threat of darkness, and the Dyad allowed itself to be carried away to the other side of the Mid Rim, away from Chandrila and Coruscant. A forest surrounded it: trees, smells, small flowers flickering in the grass. It was a good memory that did not belong to any of its halves. It concentrated and behind the scattered forest, saw the same pictures that had once flashed on Tatooine: houses drowning in greenery, water and the sun. The embodiment of peace and beauty away from noisy worlds.

But something was wrong. A disturbance was felt very close by, and it was growing. It was not a threat of galactic proportions, but something that would affect many people. At Ahch-To, the Lanais recoiled when the Jedi figures twitched. Their eyebrows frowned at the same time, the pupils moved under closed eyelids. They lowered their hands and slowly landed on the stone floor.

At the same time, all the senses that had hitherto slept flooded over. The cold of stones, the whisper of the ocean, the heaviness of arms and legs. Opening her eyes, Rey glanced at the frog face of the matron and screeched in surprise. She flinched and broke a half-empty bowl of soup. Rey turned, startled, and saw Ben very close. He was no less shocked from returning from meditation and grimaced, jerking sharply with his numb leg. He reached for Rey and they hugged, glad that they could touch each other again in the real world.

‘I already decided that we won’t find a way back.'

‘Me too. Like five minutes have passed, but in reality…’

She turned to the caretakers of the island. In response, one of them showed seven on her fingers.

‘Seven hours?’ clarified Rey. They shook their heads.

‘Days,' Ben breathed in shock. They looked at each other.

‘Of course, I read about it, and yet…’ Rey said, pressing her hand to her stomach. She looked into the impenetrable faces of the caretakers, then at the fragments of the bowl. ‘Have you been watching us all this time?’

The matron only snorted.

‘She doesn't like you,’ Ben said. ‘And me.'

‘A long story,’ Rey sighed.

They left the temple and went along a narrow stone path. Everything remained the same at Ahch-To, which survived the death and rebirth of Ben Solo: the dark blue waves were breaking at the foot of the rocks where porgs nested, the stone houses dotted with green hills. Laying her head on Ben's shoulder, Rey felt the faint heat of the sun at the back of her head.

‘On Tatooine, Leia and Luke showed us only images. This forest was real, but I had never seen it before.'

‘I don’t know if I was there as a child. But that feeling ... warmth …’

‘Hopes…’

‘At home’, Ben found the right word. ‘I always had it different.'

Rey saw in his mind a bright room with a wide balcony and a desk with a stack of parchment sheets.

‘Handsomely.'

‘I used to live there until ten years old. Then they sent me to Luke.'

Bitterness still mixed with these thoughts.

‘Something must happen’, Rey said, stopping, and met his gaze. ‘You felt that.'

‘Do you propose flying to the Mid Rim now? Have we changed so much?’

‘Firstly, we don’t have to show our faces. Secondly, those who met you face-to-face are not there, and my images have never been in HoloNet - the Resistance ensured it. Let's consider this the first mission of the New Jedi.'

Ben grinned. Rey looked impatiently at him and said what he already knew.

‘We feel good. The Daige Qi rite helped us strengthen the balance of the Force Dyad. And Chandrila is on the other side, right? Are you not _ interested _ in seeing a new planet?’

‘I have not done anything of interest for a long time.'

Ben looked at the green shores of a deserted island. A suitable place for exile: every day will be like another one until the time comes to die. That was how he imagined it, hiding on Ajan Kloss. And then he heard that he deserved to have a future. And he believed.

Rey drew her lightsaber and examined the blade, which had become almost white in the light.

‘Yellow kybers are for Jedi Sentinel following Guardian teachings. By decision of the High Council, they are attached to a planet or a star system and help its inhabitants’, it looked like she read one of Luke's books. ‘Now the High Council is represented by Rey and Ben Solo and in the post-war period will personally conduct reconnaissance in the Mid Rim sector. Unanimously resolved.'

‘Like listening to my mother at the next council,' Ben told her.

Rey jokingly led the blade in his direction. Halfway through, he fought off with his one. The blades gently touched and hummed. Ben bowed his head to one side and raised his eyebrows.

‘Have we not already found out we’re equal in strength?’

Rey stuck her tongue out at him. 

‘Come, while I haven’t ruined anything here yet.'

At the ship, as if reading their thoughts, several Lanais were already bustling about. Some folded bundles in baskets, others drove away the porgs who managed to make nests under the windows. One porg, making a hoarse cry, crashed into Ben's boot and fell back. Leaning over, he lifted him to his feet and hesitantly ran his fingers over a small head, fearing to hurt. He had not yet seen such creatures. Rey looked toward the stone houses, behind which was a passage to the underground lake. Once it attracted her, promising to save her from painful thoughts of loneliness. Now it had nothing to offer.

She went to the Lanais. They put dried fish, bread and bottles of water in one basket. In the other was a stack of colorful fabrics - some clothes for her and Ben.

'May the Force be with you,' Rey said sincerely, looking down at the little caretakers. They nodded, wanting the same.

Ben, who planted a porg on the grass next to his brothers, brought the baskets onto the ship. Accompanied by voices reciting ancient prayers, a gray transporter with a buzz took off into the air.

After the ship left hyperspace, Rey was able to connect to the Mid Rim HoloNet and looked through the latest messages.

‘Theed... the Queen held a regular meeting with the chamber of commerce... here it is! A few hours ago, the Ezida island in the Lake Country was covered with a plasma dome. No one knows the reasons. But there are children under it!’

‘Plasma?’ Ben asked.

‘Yes,' Rey said impatiently. ‘The Naboo use it to create energy fields.'

She looked at Ben, who remembered everything he knew about the Naboo planet. After the accession of the First Order, it, in exchange for immunity, became its supplier of food and fabrics, without breaking commercial ties with other planets. The command overlooked it, yet decided to intimidate the government. All important facilities in the capital, including reservoirs and cultural monuments, were equipped with a complex security system, supposedly to protect against unexpected attacks from the air. In fact - for blackmail, because the access codes remained in First Order’s hands. Without them, all attempts to shut down or crack the system that creates impenetrable domes of plasma could lead to a point - but powerful - explosion.

‘Kriff!’ - Rey cursed.

‘Hux people did their best,' Ben answered grimly. ‘But I think we can help.’

The hope in Rey's eyes made him nervous. He did not doubt his decision, but wanted to do all things without too much publicity.

‘Suppose we should get in touch with the Resistance generals,' Rey said, and quickly entered Poe Dameron’s personal code into the computer.

‘Hi Poe! Sorry for not getting in touch: the island in the ocean’s too far away, you know. The trap of the First Order has triggered on Naboo, so we’re heading there. Perhaps soon you’ll receive a request from the authorities about two engineers from the Resistance. They helped you a lot with hacking First Order systems, remember? Ben and...’ she frowned, ‘and Reina... Alder.'

She pronounced the last word with a surprised look at Ben.

‘May the Force be with you,' having finished the record, she turned to him. ‘Alder? _ Alderaan _?’

‘It’s so obvious hardly anyone’ll guess, _ Reina _,' Ben answered. ‘It’s better not to mention the Solo name, and my mother was the princess of Alderaan. I still have the title of Prince.'

‘Why not the King?’

‘The succession system used to be matrilineal. If Alderaan survived and I had a sister or a daughter... she would be the Queen'.

‘Alder’... Rey said solemnly and smiled, causing a reciprocal smile. ‘I like it.'

They flew over Theed - a palace on the edge of a waterfall, a scattering of turquoise domes and yellow-pink walls - and headed further towards the Lake Country. The trees on the island closest to the land, were barely seen through the white-pink dome of pure plasma shining in the setting sun. Landing the ship near the empty bridge, Ben and Rey found themselves in a crowd of onlookers and relatives of involuntary captives. They were surrounded by thrilled voices and strong, very strong feelings of anxiety and fear.

‘What is happening now?’ Rey asked one of the women nearby.

‘Grace and the others are trying to hack into a computer. But what can they do without these damned keys?’

‘And those who could have sprayed onto the molecules.’

‘For a long time it was necessary to force these bastards to turn off their defense! Would stop supplying them food, and the deal is with the end!’

‘Damned First Order!’

Waves went through the dome, and everyone fell silent, their heads lifted. After a few seconds, it leveled off again, and a disappointed sigh swept through the crowd. Someone swore loudly.

People’s thoughts were divided in two directions: the island and the tall mansion a little further along the left bank. Apparently, it was there that the security control center was located.

The front door leading into the marble hall was wide open. Directly opposite, from the hall with huge windows came angry and alarmed voices. Men and women in the expensive clothes of officials gathered in front of a mosaic of monitors with black screens surrounded by flickering sensors and interweaving of wires. Rey and Ben stopped at the threshold, and after a few moments all eyes were fixed on them.

‘I was on the right way,’ the young man in front of the monitor fell silent half a word and, turning around, voiced a common question. ‘And who are you?’

Several people reached for holsters with blasters. Ben prepared to activate his lightsaber, hidden under a cloak.

‘We are from the Resistance and want to help,' Rey said quickly. ‘We... we already hacked into the security systems of the First Order and were nearby when we read the news about Ezida.'

People were silent and exchanged incredulous glances. Rey pointed a finger at the familiar silver emblem on her cloak and tried to look calm and confident. There was no one from Naboo in the Resistance. And she changed her hairstyle and clothes a long time ago.

‘My name is Reina Alder. This is my husband, Ben. We used to work with Poe Dameron at Ajan Kloss'.

One of the men - quiet, but apparently having power - they unmistakably recognized as the head of the Security Council of Theed, who flashed into the HoloNet. In a few minutes, the leaders of the Resistance will receive the promised message.

Rey could not be afraid that she and Ben would be recognized. The Naboo saw only a young couple in front of them; scratches appeared on their haggard faces, as if they had recently been in a fight, but their eyes looked honestly and openly. Their clothes were neat but poor and could suit farmers from distant worlds (or secret supporters of the Resistance).

‘Let us study the code,' Ben urged, remembering the desperate people off the coast of the island. ‘Plasma generators are one of the most stable, and the dome may not disappear for a very long time.'

After their hesitating, he reached monitors. Ben approached the big screen and scowled across the lines with a frown.

‘So?’ Rey asked quietly.

‘Someone on the island damaged the alarm sensor. The system considered this a threat and activated the dome. To remove it, you need top-level access. We get access - we deactivate the dome - we turn off the system forever and delete the files.’

‘It was one of the garden droids,’ one of the engineers said. ‘The obstacle recognition system is jammed.’

Ben looked at Rey, who remembered everything she knew about such things. Combining their knowledge, he turned on the hologram of the keyboard and started working. Accompanied by guarded glances, Rey walked nearby, staring at the giant computer. Finally, Ben showed her the code on the screen, and she walked along the wall, rearranging the wires and pressing the switches under the continuous knock of keys. The Naboo who watched them exchanged glances in which distrust slowly gave way to hope.

‘The island won't explode?’ - one of the women asked after a long time, looking apprehensively at Ben's back.

‘It won’t.’

Ben pressed the last key and stepped back. The main screen turned green and then white. The others blinked and, under a general sigh of relief, showed standard graphs and charts illustrating the different parameters of the island. Ben pulled a small disk from under the monitor, now empty, and put it on the dashboard.

‘You now have access to control,’ Rey said. ‘Let the senior engineer deactivate the field.’

The young man who gave him way to the monitor literally flew into the screen, being pushed. With trembling hands, he entered the code, and after a second through the window they saw how the force field began to disappear. A flock of birds emerged from behind the furry tops of the trees and spun in a dark spiral in the blue sky. Rey and Ben could not take their eyes off them. As the plasma waves descended, they opened a dense green forest, separated from the water by a long stone fence.

People waiting for the bridge rushed forward in search of friends and relatives, and officials followed them. The senior engineer rushed to shake hands with Ben and Rey.

‘Thank you! Thank you very much! You saved us all. I forgot to introduce myself - Grace Zetra.’

‘Jay Panaka,’ the more reserved head of the Security Council said. There was respect in his eyes caused by the message he had just received from Poe.

‘Can I ask you something?’ Ben said. Panaka glanced at his tablet and nodded.

‘May our help today remain a mystery. No images or references to the HoloNet. We…’ he glanced at Rey, ‘we believe someone in the galaxy still could not forgive us for helping the Resistance.’

Panaka nodded in understanding. Unlike his ancestor, he always remained faithful to the politics of the royal house of Naboo.

‘Of course. I’ve sent a request to the office of the Leaders of the Resistance; your merits do you honor. I will take care of privacy.’

A new message flashed on the tablet. He apologized and walked away, and Grace immediately took his place.

‘I'm going to inspect the droids on the island before it gets dark. I can give you a lift, for having a look around. It is very beautiful there!’

They nodded in agreement, and Grace went outside to prepare the speeder. Already in the lobby they were caught up by Panaka.

‘Sir and lady Alder, I need to discuss one thing with you. The control over Ezida again passed to the authorities, however, at least twenty objects with a similar security system remained on the territory of Theed and the Lake Country. The Naboo government is ready to offer you a generous reward in exchange for turning it off in the coming days. Living on a ship is optional, we are able to provide you with temporary housing.’

Ben and Rey looked at each other: the mission of the Jedi Sentinels was becoming more and more exciting.

Having received consent, Panaka handed out a flat, transparent key card with the coordinates of the house, which was under the authority of his council: it was very close, opposite the bridge leading to Ezida. Having agreed to meet in the city tomorrow afternoon, they said goodbye.

Grace's little speeder covered the distance to the main entrance in minutes. As the island approached, the excitement of the Jedi increased.

It was not a matter of the bewitching appearance that lay before them: graceful lanterns whitening between the trees, a wide sandy road surrounded by dense green crowns of trees through which the last sun rays hardly penetrated; but in the sensation to which they both finally paid attention. This place was marked by the Force, though not as ancient as Ahch-To, but very powerful. It throbbed in the air, revived the thoughts of distant worlds with which they felt connected during meditation, and, as the captives of the island began to recover, calmed down and gave a sense of peace.

The three of them entered the park of Ezida through a high marble arch. Men and women walked past them, embracing or carrying calming children in their arms. Some were crying. Rey followed them with eyes full of tenderness, and stroked Ben's fingers: it was his merit.

A young woman walked past them, pulling the boy's hand.

‘Monki was bored at home, mom! I decided to take him for a walk and show the island’, the boy stroked a fluffy dark lump on his shoulder.

‘It’s a pet, Henry, and it's not bored! How many times to repeat?’

Rey watched her with a frightened look, and Ben saw a memory: a little girl with a twig in her hands runs past a shabby rusty boat and touches the hull. A huge, worm-like scavenger protrudes from under the open bonnet and slaps her in the face, knocking her down.

‘How many times to repeat? Once you touch the ship, you won’t eat for a week, you filthy tike!’

_ ‘She was just scared for her son. He is not in danger’ _, Ben thought soothingly. Rey nodded, driving away unpleasant thoughts. They focused on the presence of the Force.

‘Incredible…’

‘And it is true,’ Grace smiled knowingly, interpreting their confusion in their own way.

A familiar girl came up to him with a tray of small sandwiches; she worked in a restaurant on the east coast of the island, which all this time was sharing provisions with fellow sufferers. Rey’s stomach rumpled, and she hastily coughed.

‘Daisy has the best shaak ham,’ Grace said, eating the second sandwich. ‘Take it while something else remains’.

Whether it was the feeling of hunger or the skill of the cook, but both could hardly stop and not eat everything that was left on the tray. The meat and cheese, combined with fresh herbs, were truly incredible. Ben and Rey looked like they had found a precious treasure, and Grace felt sorry for them. Confusedly he lowered his eyes, ran them over the indicators on the tablet, and went in search of garden droids.

Feeding their hunger, the Jedi followed a quiet call, seeing around the same flowers and trees that the Force showed during the Daige Qi. Rey closed her eyes, enjoying the coolness and breathing in the unfamiliar odors of plants and the water hiding behind the forest. A few minutes later they found the source of the Force.

On the lawn, surrounded by tall trees, stood a huge glass greenhouse. The round dome reflected the light of the setting sun, the high entrance doors were wide open. Staying on the threshold, Rey grabbed her fingers on the door jamb, and this was not due to the flow of energy emanating from within. The greenhouse, divided into sectors by temperature, was full of colorful flowers, trees and plants from different parts of the galaxy. Having preserved the memory of their native planets and feeling the closeness of different people every day, they became the conductors of the Cosmic Force, which Ben and Rey felt. It is not surprising that Palpatine managed to hide behind this power in due time. Now, as Grace told them, scientists from the Royal Academy were looking for new applications for these plants. If they managed to get medicine or seeds for food, they were transferred to the Refugee Relief Movement or to poor planets.

It was almost dark outside. Rey was tired, and, no matter how beckoning the plants, she wanted to leave; but Ben, letting go of her hand and acting on pure instinct, suddenly turned right and went between the flower beds. Feeling his excitement, she ran after and froze in front of the huge hats of white flowers, which were adjacent to fluffy spikelets on thin stems. A wall in front of their eyes was covered with a carpet of small sky blue flowers with round petals. Nearby shone a plate with the inscription: **Memory of Alderaan**.

_ ‘Here are my possessions,’ _ Ben thought, looking at the flowers that grew on the last remnants of a destroyed planet - his kingdom by birth. Rey reached out and touched the tender petals; her touch echoed in her ears with gentle but proud music.

‘This is a wonderful place.’

They agreed to return here tomorrow and went to the exit. On the way, they met only a few white garden droids on narrow tracks. Ben and Rey passed the white-lit bridge, climbed up the street and turned towards a small yellow house with a high porch. The windows looked directly at Ezida, and there was enough space nearby for their transporter.

Opening the door with a key card, they entered the hallway. Two rooms were found behind it: a beige bedroom and a kitchen with a small balcony. The round table in the middle was occupied by a jug with juice and a dish with snacks - a gift from Panaka. Touching the silver edge, Ben was able to catch the thoughts of their new acquaintance - sympathy mixed with the hope that everything on his planet would finally bounce back. He checked the locks and security system on the door - not bad for a peaceful planet. There were no cameras or bugs anywhere.

Rey opened the door across from the bedroom and found the bathroom shining clean. She left there an hour later, with a blissful smile on her face and in a clean dress sewn by the Lanes. According to Ben, she deserved much more luxurious outfits, but this one really fit her. Before he ate all the cheese, Ray sent him to the bathroom and, grabbing a couple of local fruits, went out onto the balcony.

Opposite, Ezida bathed in the soft white light of a plasma lantern; somewhere further, behind the trees, was the dome of the greenhouse, which carried particles of distant worlds and exuded streams of the Force. The Lake Country was a great place for the Jedi. On the left, against the sky, the silhouette of the mansion stood out, where the Alder engineers debuted - and the mission of the Jedi Sentinel Solo was launched. She wondered where they will go with Panaka tomorrow. Having bitten off a piece from a bright red fruit with white flesh, Rey took out a tablet and looked for images of Theed. The magnificent royal palace. Theaters and museums, and the library. Beauty immortalized in marble.

Inside, Ben, yawning and stretching, immediately went to bed. For him, the Lanais prepared a thin shirt and trousers. Dimming the light, he watched Rey's thoughts with a smile, until she felt him fall asleep.

The endless stars in the cloudless sky were so bright that they were reflected in the calm water of the lake. A light breeze touched Rey's slightly damp hair, bringing with it the scent of flowers from Ezida. Or did she just think so?

Everything around disappeared, and she fell into pitch darkness. Legs did not feel support, hands grabbed air; the voice remained somewhere in another world. Suddenly, a bright light blinded his eyes, breaking into countless variegated windows. They circled around, approached and moved away, as if teasing. There was a voice in her ears calling someone an angel; children's cries of horror; the woman’s prayers not to break her heart and the assurances of the man that this is the most happiest day in his life. Suddenly, their own faces flashed before her eyes - all in blood after the battle on Exegol, and Rey woke up.

‘Rey! Rey, where are you?’ - Ben was very close.

‘I'm here.’

Her knees hit something cold, and Rey eagerly took a breath of air. They were still in the house on Naboo. Ben sat on the bed, trembling and trying to regain his breath. Rey quickly climbed onto the bed and pressed his head to her shoulder, feeling the heart pounding. With a wave of her hand, she locked the balcony door and beckoned a glass of juice from the table.

‘Exegol,’ Ben whispered in horror, taking a tiny sip. ‘It was Exegol. That's what I saw... where I managed to visit before you and the other Jedi saved me. World Between Worlds.'

‘Where all the points of space and time converge,’ Rey agreed, remembering the glowing windows.

‘And the chances of getting out are void. I would stay there until your death,’ he muttered. ‘We either die together or live together. This is the only way the Dyad can exist.’

‘We would definitely get you out’, Rey interrupted. ‘Exegol is over. This was a nightmare, not a prophecy.’

Ben himself understood that this was so, but the decisiveness, and partly even the anger of Rey, helped to believe completely.

‘Do the Jedi have nightmares?’ he asked. Rey ran her fingers through his hair.

‘They have memories, and in a dream they can come to life. We will not change the past, Ben, but we will choose the future ourselves.’

What a small but difficult word is the _ future _. For Rey, it was in the smell of flowers outside the window; sparkling water in the sun; the island on which the heritage of distant planets was kept. In a life where there was no sense of loss. Ben looked at her in awe; her thoughts were beautiful. He joyfully realized that they were responding with his own, which were becoming stronger day by day. Alien voices whispering their will were silent forever.

‘Everything will be different,’ Rey continued. She was not fearless, yet was ready to fight her fear. And now he was too.

‘I know.’

Words hung in the air, waiting for the continuation that was in no hurry to advance. They continued to look into each other's eyes until Rey looked down.

Sliding along the neck, her hands touched the collar, then the buttons on his shirt. Slowly unfastening the top, she reached below. Ben did not move and did not take his eyes off Rey's face, noting every detail in the twilight of the room. A slight blush on the cheeks is the opposite of calm hand movements. A thrill of eyelashes, slightly parted lips, as if preparing to speak.

He plunged into her feelings and felt excitement. Tenderness. The desire to finally achieve oneness in all senses, which reflected his own.

A fever hit the head, destroying the last memories of the nightmare. He untied her belt, threw it to the floor and took up the ribbons on the dress.

The silence of the room was broken only by a rustle of fabric; not even breathing was heard. Ben's fingers gently touched her bare back, and Rey trembled. Moving closer, she took his face in her hands and kissed on the corner of his lips.

‘Rey…’

Rather a breath than a word.

The world shrank to a ring inside their arms and a moment later exploded with a supernova flash.


	3. I’m with you

Sleep began to disappear as suddenly as it had come, but Ben was in no hurry to let it go. Then the memories of last night will be only a dream; and he is alone again, trying to find Rey's trail in the Force. She moved somewhere nearby, thin fingers touched his elbow and hid under a pillow.

It was Ahch-To where was the reunited soul of the Prime Jedi; it entered the infinite chain of the Force that permeates the galaxy — the one among trillions of other elements with an infinite number of thoughts, names and races.

It was Naboo where were Ben and Rey. Alone in the world, which faint light flashed before their eyes on Ajan Kloss. They saw new stars flare up, while others flickered brighter in time with their kisses and body movements - gentle or quick, but always right. Later, feeling the hearts return to their normal rhythm, they thought they still did not feel so _ real _. No other feelings, including even the first successful attempts to use the Force, the Light or the Dark sides, could not surpass love in its power.

Ben slowly opened his eyes. Rey was sleeping peacefully, curled up in a ball under a thin wrinkled sheet at his chest - the finest creature he had ever seen. Carefully, so as not to wake her up, he raised his hand and beckoned to his tablet from the table. There were no new references to Rey, Kylo Ren, or Ben Solo in the HoloNet. The Naboo news was dedicated to: government talks with the former Resistance on Chandril; saving people from under the plasma dome on Ezida (thanks to Panaka, there were no names and detailed descriptions); the next anniversary of the first galactic agreement.

‘Good morning’.

Ben sent the tablet to the floor. Rey's eyes were sleepy but affectionate. She reached out and touched his cheek and smiled: after long hours of meditation in the Force, it was pleasant to be alone. Ben ran his fingers over the scar on her chest, which he kissed last night, and pulled her to him, leaving the hand on her naked waist. The long-forgotten feeling of being loved for himself was like the touch of a flame - warm, but not burning. Flames of Rey's light.

‘It's been almost a noon on Naboo. We have to go to the city.’

Rey bowed her head to the shoulder, examining his face, warm brown eyes. More recently, the least she could've dreamed of was the opportunity to call him by his real name again. And certainly she could not imagine that she'd share two best nights of her life with Ben Solo. At first, she said goodbye to loneliness forever. In the second she knew the whole depth of pleasure from the thought that she could stop fighting. He was with her.

‘What's the celebration?’

‘The next anniversary of bringing peace between the New Republic and the Galactic Empire. The first overthrow of Palpatine.’

‘It’s something more’... she frowned and, after a second, raised herself on her elbow. ‘Your birthday!’

‘I haven't celebrated it for twenty years,’ Ben said. ‘Parents sometimes sent messages. At thirteen, Luke presented me with a kyber. It seems that he wanted to arrange friendly gatherings for the Padawans, but from the friendly there were only him and me.’

‘I don’t even know when I was born,’ Rey shrugged. ‘I counted the marks from the day I ended up at Jakku, and in the evening I ate the rest of the rations in a week.’

‘Perhaps, since we are the Dyad,’ Ben began slowly, ‘we were born on the same day, with a difference of ten years.’

Rey pulled her knees up to her chest and sat up, wrapped in the sheet.

‘Then I want a party! You and I deserve it. What will we do after meeting with Panaka?’

‘I would rather come back here’, Ben said bluntly, pulling her beyond the edges of the sheet. Rey's smiling face was very close, but she pulled away too soon, breaking off the kiss.

‘Will definitely be back. Now I want to eat, because yesterday the food was just incredible, I want to buy something...’ she was looking for the right word, ‘beautiful, since we have money, and... sweet. We’ll definitely need to try cake, or cupcakes, or something like that. Get up!’

After breakfast with what remained of the evening, they flew towards Theed. Panaka made an appointment with them at the city hall, which could be reached along the main shopping street. It was weekend, and Rey and Ben mingled with the crowd without attracting too much attention.

The vivid images seen in HoloNet turned out to be a pale copy of the originals. Multi-colored roofs crowned houses around yellow or white stone; here and there flower beds were full, and the clothes of the locals seemed to incorporate all the colors of the galaxy. Rey kept stopping in place, looking around and opening her mouth. The energy of the city intoxicated her and aroused the desire to explore every corner. Ben was no less impressed by Theed; Rey's overwhelming feelings warmed, and with a smile he watched her sincere delight.

Some shops were replaced by others, and they stopped at each one. Following spices and wine, leather workshops and benches selling tablets for viewing holograms appeared. Rey stopped at the ceramics counter and was fascinated by the set of bright blue plates on a snow-white embroidered towel.

‘I've never seen anything like it. How beautiful.’

The saleswoman who stood at the entrance to the shop smiled knowingly at Ben.

‘Have you come from far away?’

‘You could say that’, he answered shortly, immediately recognizing the gossip in her. A crowd of animated women was gathering nearby, and Rey stepped aside.

The sight of ordinary dishes reminded her of the home that she and Ben hoped to find. This thought was pleasant, but still timid: after everything they went through, a peaceful life seemed completely unpredictable.

After admiring the large gems in the pendants exhibited in the window of the jewelry workshop, Rey already wanted to go further, but Ben held her hand.

‘I owe you a necklace.’

Inside, he immediately went to that part of the counter where there were bright beads made of local minerals and a necklace strewn with sparkling stones. He wanted to find something really beautiful for her, and the sellers bombarded him with advice. Rey, hiding a smile, examined more modest jewelry. Interrupting the explanation of why dark green crystals would suit his beautiful companion more than red ones, Ben walked over to her and raised his eyebrow skeptically.

Rey chose a thin gold chain decorated with six beads, and did not want to think about anything else. Winding lines, either constellations or flower shoots, were applied to each bead, both of which reminded her of Ben. The chain was simple but beautiful, and, as Ben was convinced, fastening the lock, it fit her best. Sellers could only be surprised - by the speed of decision-making, and the minimum of words that this unusual couple exchanged.

Kissing Ben on the cheek, Rey touched the chain and smiled.

‘Now it's my turn!’

‘I don’t need anything,’ Ben objected, but she had already taken his wallet from him and was walking across the road to a stationery. Ben slowed down, not believing what he saw in her thoughts. For him, these were too distant and pleasant memories from the life of a little boy - the Padawan of the great Luke Skywalker.

‘It's good to give presents today,’ said the elderly salesman. ‘When I was young, on this day people honored the Rebels and Leia Organa. I hope she found peace in unity with the Force.’

‘She was extraordinary,’ Ben confirmed.

The cost of a complete set for calligraphy - from brushes, multi-colored mascara and rubbing stone, pencils, a sharpener, holders and much more - turned out to be more than Rey’s necklace. She asked to add a large pack of parchment sheets to the order and agreed with the seller that they would pick it up closer to evening.

While he was bandaging the bulk bundle with a smile, Ben stood nearby, numb. Rey enjoyed the sincere happiness that he experienced at the sight of a gift, and turned pink after seeing his plans after returning from the city.

_ ‘Resolved unanimously.’ _

_ ‘Stop it now, Ben Solo! We have an important mission.’ _

After leaving the store, they went on and soon found themselves in the square in front of the city hall - another palace with tall wrought-iron doors. In front of them stood a fountain that crowned the marble symbol of the royal house of Naboo. A stream of water escaped from the top with a hiss, glistening in the light of the sun like diamonds. Ray slowly walked closer, unable to take her eyes off the trickle.

‘How beautiful…’ 

She touched the water with her fingertips. Ben's hand went cold immediately — admiration was so strong. He felt sorry for her. The past of the scavenger on Jakku, where one could kill you for a sip of clean water, still made itself felt.

Panaka came up to them and invited him inside. The luxurious lounge was cool and not crowded.

‘I hope you like the house?’

‘Yes, thanks’, Ben answered calmly. ‘And also because they kept their word. I saw the morning news.’

‘I hope they will remain as good for a long time. By the way,’ Panaka gestured them into the elevator and pressed a button, ‘we are all tormented by the question of that girl, Rey. She is called the First Jedi of the new world, although there is a version that she died after returning from Palpatine's wounds on Ajan Kloss. Already a few days from her, neither hearing nor spirit.’

‘She's hard to find,’ said Rey; Ben hid a smile. ‘Our friends said that she went to the Unknown Regions to make sure that the Dark side is over.’

They arrived on the second floor, which was completely occupied by the security center of the central regions of Theed. Today it was empty, and Ben and Rey got complete freedom of action. Each sector of the city controlled its own security system of the First Order, with its own keys and encryption, and there was a lot of work to do. Consistently, step by step, they made their way deep into the dangerous mechanism, finding and neutralizing traps, sequentially removing plasma flows from the control of an external system and returning them to the city government. A few hours later, Rey dropped her head in her hands, and Ben rubbed his eyes wearily.

‘Sectors one through five are unlocked,’ he said. ‘In the rest, we have so far suspended the knock mechanism.’

‘The codes of the First Order are very complex and confusing. We will deal with them and delete all the files, but it takes time to recover,’ Rey added. ‘Until tomorrow, nothing will happen.’

‘Then I’ll be waiting for you at the same time,’ Panaka handed them a small disk with the first part of the payment and explained how to get to the bank.

‘Security systems are only a small part of what needs to be restored after this war. The economy was rebuilt to please the First Order, and now everything has to be returned to normal. Especially art - during the war they remember it last of all... When you get used to living in fear, freedom can discourage you.’

‘The First Order was not the only one that needed you’, Rey said. ‘The Newest Republic intends to help poor planets and refugees - as I understand it, you too?’

‘As soon as we deal with the new state of things’, answered Panaka. ‘Queen Chantia and the government intend to actively cooperate with the Republic on humanitarian programs. Once we have restored this world, we will try again.’

Already in the elevator, he asked another question, which haunted the authorities, although the official version was known.

‘What about those weird rumors about Kylo Ren? According to the leaders of the former Resistance, Rey stated he had returned to the Light and the real name - Ben Solo. But he did not survive the battle with Palpatine. Do the others think the same?’

‘Why should she fabricate it?’ Rey shrugged. ‘The light is in the blood of the Skywalkers, this has long been known.’

‘Since they both feel the Force’, Ben added, “we decided that Rey was able to convince him to get back on the right way.’

‘Or the Emperor was so scary he got his head where it needed to be,’ Panaka waved his hand.

Palpatine's lightning flashed before their eyes.

‘Kylo Ren was not always on the Dark Side,’ Rey said. ‘Legends go about its power, and although it will always be a mystery to us, I can easily imagine how it feels to lose yourself.’

She pursed her lips and touched the chain Ben had given.

‘This war took too many lives — including our loved ones,’ Ben explained. ‘How many people have changed sides, never know. But I’m grateful for every minute of peace from the moment it came. My mother told me Naboo is a wonderful place, and I agree with her.’

‘Thank you, sir Alder. Lady Alder’, Panaka shook her hand and received a smile in response, showing that her feelings were not hurt.

The day was already declining towards evening. Putting the bank aside until future times, Ben and Rey walked slowly along the street.

‘I didn’t go too far?’ Rey asked quietly, stopping at one of the last stores selling fabrics.

‘It's okay. You see, everything goes according to plan: we help local residents with what we can, including believing in a peaceful future’.

Rey nodded and cheered. A slight breeze rose, and for a moment a golden shawl covered her head, flying off the street counter. The girl closed her nose and mouth, energetically moving her eyebrows.

‘Looks good on me?’

Ben laughed.

‘Very good.’

Not listening to her objections, he went into the store, counted out the credits and gave it to the seller.

‘Now let's go: you promised me a birthday cake.’

Rey put the shawl around his neck, pulled him to her and kissed firmly on the lips.

‘I promised a lot more.’

From the number of dishes in the restaurant’s menu, their eyes widened. Soups of local vegetables and fish, chops, fries, jellies, cheese platter and fruits. Having ordered several at once, they dragged pieces from each other from plates, laughed and compared with what had to be before. The command of the First Order did not deny itself the opportunity to hire the best cooks; Rey could not boast of the same, but stated that she intends to learn how to cook the same soup - after learning the names of all twenty spices (‘Well, _ no less _, try it!’). The rest of food and desserts were wrapped with them. Feeling the taste of shaak milk ice cream with chocolate in their mouths, they went after Ben's gift and returned to the ship.

‘The sun has not set yet. Take a walk on Ezida?’ Rey asked, looking imploringly into his eyes. 

Ben shrugged in mock discontent: he himself wanted to go there again.

‘Just not too long.’

Holding hands, they wandered around the island, not ceasing to wonder how one piece of land can resemble a separate world. Yesterday, they walked directly to the greenhouse that emitted the Force, immersed in their visions. Today their eyes rested on elegant lamps in the form of lotus flowers, lush pink flower beds and chambeli trees, strewn with fragrant small flowers. Away from the main alley, behind the trees, was a pond surrounded by benches occupied by local residents. In the water you could see the multi-colored scales of fish.

The greenhouse was closed today, but life was in full swing inside. Droids drove between long rows, scanning plants with their round eyes and reflecting the result on the screens below. Rey gazed at them through the thick intertwined stalks of vines, adorned with bright red buds.

‘Ben, I want to see flowers in our house!’ her eyes sparkled with pent-up tears. ‘Many, large and small, in each room.’

‘In our house’. Ben smiled softly at her.

‘Of course they’ll be there. As much as you want.’

Voices rang out behind the greenhouse. Ray and Ben walked around to her side and saw a nearby excursion group consisting entirely of students.

‘...Over the past seventy years, the Galaxy greenhouse on Ezida has attracted artists and musicians’, one of the island's caretakers told them. ‘Locals believe that the island is protected by ancient deities, helping to find inspiration and peace. According to another version, the souls of the patrons of the island live here. Honestly, I prefer it: inside you can see the flowers that Breha and Bail Organa, the last monarchs of Alderaan, planted with their own hands.’

Amazed whispers were heard in the crowd.

‘Adoptive parents of General Organa?’ one of the listeners clarified.

‘Exactly. You can see their portraits in the royal gallery, and there are sculptures,’ the caretaker stepped aside, pointing to a previously not seen fountain a little further beyond the greenhouse. Behind him stood life-size white human figures.

Slowly, Ben and Ray followed the students, pretending to happen by chance.

‘The Organa couple is among the initiators of the creation of the greenhouse on Ezida,’ the man said. ‘In addition to them, we owe its existence to Queen Apailana and senator Padmé Amidala.

Ben tensed up. He knew this name from the archives of the Old Republic - the name of a woman who had a very close relationship with Anakin Skywalker.

_ ‘Grandmother.’ _

They looked at her serious and beautiful face. High cheekbones, lips in the half-smile that Leia inherited, hair laid in a lush hairstyle. The look of her marble eyes was directed higher than that of other sculptures, as if the senator was trying to discern something in the blue sky. Or someone.

_ ‘No wonder Anakin fell madly in love with her,’ _ Rey thought. She was echoed by a park employee.

‘As a girl, Amidala worked with the Refugee Relief Movement and, as a queen and a senator, she initiated humanitarian missions, one of which was the replenishment of the greenhouse on Naboo. And shortly before her death, along with Bail Organa, she began work on the creation of the Rebel Alliance to combat the growing empire.’

The twisted remains of Darth Vader's mask appeared before Ben's eyes. Hard breathing came through his ears through the respirator he heard on Mustafar. Rey squeezed her fingers lightly, pulling him out of memory.

The craftsmen did their best: on marble clothes it was possible to examine every crease or pattern. Alongside Queen Apailana’s low figure with a feather headdress, stood the rulers of Alderaan, familiar to Ben. As a child, he often saw them in holograms in his mother’s office and considered them grandparents - until he found out the truth about the birth of Leia and Luke. The head of Breha was crowned by a wreath of thick braids. In beauty, she was hardly inferior to Padma, but her features were softer. The hand of Bail, a handsome man with a beard, rested on her waist.

Rey and Ben slowly walked on through the forest, which stretched all the way to the water. The rays of the sun breaking through the trees drew golden stripes that disappeared in white gravel. They reflected on what they felt in the Force — someone's memories of Naboo as a home, a beautiful fairy tale without plasma domes. In some incredible way, the pieces of the soul of Padmé Amidala, scattered throughout the galaxy, were able to reach the Dyad and show her the way.

Accompanied by the singing of birds and the rustling of small rodents in the grass, they reached a clearing surrounded by the remains of stone walls - there used to be a temple in honor of an ancient deity, but now they are covered by wild roses. This place was requested for paintings. Ben was looking forward to the familiar brush feeling in his fingers, he smelled the mascara and the rough surface of a sheet of parchment, on which his hand slides. Rey smiled: their walk for today was definitely over.

***

Every day was full of magic, affecting even the powerful souls of the Jedi; the magic of learning new things. In the depths of memory, desert dunes and the lifeless walls of flagships disappeared. After finishing work on the territory of Theed, together Rey and Ben explored the Lake Country. They flew over waterfalls and mansions, farms and orchards, villages and flower fields. They have gone countless clicks, engaging in mobile meditation and strengthening the connection with the Force. Some of these landscapes migrated to parchment sheets; sometimes Rey’s face also appeared on them - thoughtful, funny, upset. The last expression appeared whenever she was unable to cook fish or meat as tasty as Ben; to reassure her, assurances and kisses were used. In the end, recipes from local fruits caught her eye, and here she had no peers.

On the northern side of the Lake Country were mountain ranges of warm brown color. Among them, they found caves, quite spacious and with excellent acoustics, allowing you to hear someone's approach. Day or night, drawing their lightsabers, they converged and diverged, fending off and attacking - either together against an imaginary enemy, or against each other, making decisions in a split second.

Ben got rid of the chopped movements of Kylo Ren and fought, as if in a dance mortally dangerous to enemies. Rey, still light and impetuous, learned not only to attack, but also to defend herself. Despite the difference in height, from the side they represented a truly beautiful and harmonious combat duet. The first to be convinced of this were the Praetorian Guardians of Snoke; now on one side, Ben and Rey felt a common energy, far more powerful than adrenaline. After another training session, they often swam in a cave lake and extended these sensations by touching each other and forgetting about time spent separately. Fingers intertwined, lips touched, hands slipped along the bodies, examining every scar from the past.

They continued training as didn’t imagine their lives without them; no one thought of a new war. Months later, the Newest Republic continued to grow outside their small world, and Naboo became one of its most important parts. Panaka did not lie: Queen Chantia, who was often compared with general Leia Organa for her steel character and the commitment to justice, joined the former Resistance in the construction of a new world.

Food, medicine, tissues, and books traveled to poor planets in different sectors of the galaxy; they were protected from space pirates by former stormtrooper squads, now the Republican Guard assembled by Finn. The Guard was also engaged in the search for escaped supporters of the First Order, and several times, feeling disturbance in the Force, Ben and Rey pointed it in the right direction. In the HoloNet, they often saw speeches by Poe Dameron, who, as one of the members of the Galactic Council, advocated cooperation in the name of peace. Eloquent and confident, he spread his influence far beyond the borders of Chandrila, but in private messages he remained the same witty pilot. Rose Tiko, along with Jannah and other former stormtroopers, was working to bring the children back from the stormtrooper camps back to their families. A separate guardianship program has been created for orphans.

The HoloNet also spoke about Rey, who, as everyone knows, decided retreat like Luke. She was called the heir of Skywalker, the murderer of Darkness. Kylo Ren, undoubtedly through the efforts of the Resistance, imperceptibly entered the ranks with Hux, Pride, Snoke, and Palpatine - the dead villains. Having learned the story of Ben Solo's return, people simply continued to live. For some time the story of his grandfather Anakin was recalled, but then they stopped returning to these conversations. The dead heroes became just legends. Lando was right.

Alive heroes continued to remain in the shadows and tried to contribute to the humanitarian missions of Naboo. Walking around Theed and the Lake Country, they hatched ideas, made and discussed plans with city councils, which Panaka introduced them to. After security systems, Rey focused on Ezida and plants; spending long hours in the greenhouse, collecting bouquets in the meadows among the lakes, she developed prototypes of holographic copies of flowers for sending to scientific academies on other planets. Greenhouse staff noticed that garden droids began to work much better in her presence. To safely transport the plants they nursed to distant planets, the Alder engineers proposed new plasma-based thermal stabilizers to the authorities.

With the support of Grace, Ben worked on projects of plasma street figures. Abstract creatures and characters of legends shimmered in different colors and moved like real ones. Some were used instead of scenery in theaters, which gave several successful performances outside of Naboo. At the same time, he nurtured the idea of improving the engines of agrodroids that worked on solar panels to increase yield. But for the HoloNet, the Alder couple remained a mystery, and the general admiration, as well as the partial rights to their patents, belonged to the Naboo authorities. People saw a girl in front of them with shining eyes, always accompanied by a dark-haired young man with a cheerful grin. Many watched this pair with their eyes, but never dared to violate its solitude.

Weeks of work on projects for farmers, government officials, and artists were replaced by days of relaxation that Ben and Rey spent at home. When a significant sum had accumulated in the bank account, they returned the key to Panaka and moved a little north of Ezida, to the place between the lake and the mountains. It was a small but cozy two-story mansion with a blue roof, protected from prying eyes by cypress trees. The courtyard, surrounded by a stone fence, was occupied by a fountain surrounded by chambeli, a table and a pair of chairs. In the corner, an amelanger tree grew, strewn with dark sweet berries. The walls of the house were entangled with climbing roses that could be reached from the living room window. Ben surrounded his little estate with the best security system he could have imagined. Only in this way did he soothe the fear that lived in him - that one day their life would change for the worse.

In the evenings or late at night, they fell asleep in each other's arms. If nightmares appeared, then always in the morning. Ben saw Snoke and Palpatine stand over Rey's lifeless body. The ghosts of the Jedi were not visible, and he was too far away and could not even move a finger. Clutching his teeth to the pillow to restrain a moan, he shuddered all over and calmed down only when he heard Rey's quiet voice above the ear.

‘I'm with you,’ the fingers gently stroke his cheek. ‘I love you.’

Sometimes nightmares visited Rey. She and Ben were scavengers and asked Unkar Platt to give at least one rations on credit. He refused and turned into Palpatine, letting out lightning. Ben disappeared into a cloud of sand, and Rey's purple scar grew and entangled her neck, and did not allow to take a breath. Rey woke up and poured Ben's chest with tears, clenching her hands into fists.

‘This is just a dream. We will always be together, my love,’ a low whisper was followed by kisses in the crown and freckled cheeks.

But despite the nightmares, they felt that the balance was maintained. Perhaps in the future, the Force will show that it's time for the Jedi to come and show themselves to the whole galaxy. But until then, they could just live.


	4. We’re more than a Dyad

‘I got a message from Poe,’ Rey said, getting out of the speeder hidden in the shade of the trees.

They had a free morning, which they decided to spend on one of the distant sections of the Lake Country. Around, waterfalls lost in the endless green meadows sparkled in the sun. Feet drowned in soft grass.

Ben, who was sitting on the edge of a folding table with ink and parchment, looked up.

‘Something important?’

‘He and Finn are planning to come to Naboo next week — they want to negotiate with the Queen a deal to sell plasma to Chandrila. The new government wants to use it to test autonomous vehicles - and then, perhaps, use in architecture.’

As if accompanying, somewhere behind the shaak moaned. Ben raised his eyebrows in amazement.

‘And where did such ideas come from?’

Rey lowered her eyes with mock modesty.

‘I just talked a little about our work. I want to invite them to dinner.’

‘Fine,’ Ben nodded. ‘We already need to fly to Theed for speeder grease. Will also order some food in grocery stores.’ 

Rey put her arms around his shoulders and looked at the drawing he was working on. The zigzags of the letters of the galactic alphabet formed a landscape that they every day observed from the window of their small blue bedroom: in the distance, the curved edge of Ezida was visible, and even further you could see the coast of the island of Varykino. In Ben's drawing, it was much closer than in reality, and now he was finishing work on the domes of the villas.

‘I can never do that,’ Rey sighed, taking another sheet from the folder. On it, she tried to depict two human figures, tall and a little lower, which are located on the curls of the first letter of the word ‘Solo’. Their contours merged with each other and rather resembled a blot. Ben took the drawing from her and put it in a prominent place.

‘This is my favorite one, be careful.’

‘You sly one!’ Rey pinched him and looked at the heads of wild flowers flickering in the grass. ‘I couldn’t even think someday I would live in such a place. Where’s it and where’s Jakku?’

She kissed Ben on the cheek and pulled away to leave, but he held her hand.

‘Wait. There is a question that I wanted to discuss.’

He was a little nervous and obviously angry because of this. Puzzled, Rey sat down on the edge of the table, pushing the parchment back, and took his hands.

‘I thought about how this could be arranged, and Poe’s news came in handy. You... would you like to coincide with a visit of friends to another event?’

Rey frowned in bewilderment: thrill made his thoughts confused. Ben sighed and looked into her eyes.

‘I want us to get married. Officially, under the laws of Naboo.’

She opened her mouth in surprise, but made no sound. Ben continued:

‘I know that not a single rite in the whole galaxy will bind us more than the Force bound. But I want to be your husband not only in words. You are “The First Jedi of the New World” in HoloNet; the talented engineer Alder for the Naboo; for me…’ he stood up, not letting go of her hands and trying to find a significant enough word. ‘You are my life, Rey, you know that. Now and then, when the time comes to become part of the Force. This may sound silly, but I want to believe that I am someone more than a Jedi Sentinel, a part of the Dyad. I am human. Who met and fell in love with a wonderful girl - funny, kind and very courageous. And who wants to marry her as expected.’

‘Oh Ben…’ Rey pressed hands to her mouth. Her eyes wandered over his face, warmth growing in her chest from feelings divided into two of them.

‘I never thought about a real wedding: there was no reason, and you and I are all the same like spouses. But what you said about the Force and the Dyad... my darling, do you understand that you spoke for me? You and I are really something much bigger and…’ she hurriedly nodded, feeling that there were tears in her eyes. ‘I want you to be my husband! Understanding, gentle...'

There were no more words in her head. Looking up at him, she added with a laugh:

‘And tall.’

The happiness that overwhelmed her thoughts sparkled in Ben's eyes. He kissed her, tearing off the ground; Rey wrapped her arms and legs around him. Together, they collapsed onto the grass, frightening off several butterflies and getting dirty in bright yellow pollen. The tiny edge rang with laughter.

***

After receiving Rey's invitation, Chewbacca and Rose gathered along with Poe and Finn and the droids. Rose was told the whole truth a few days after Rey disappeared. Lando Calrissian who left the Resistance for some urgent matters on Pasaana, also promised to come, .

Not far from Ezida, which they visited the day before, the leaders of the Newest Republic moved to a water speeder and headed towards the mountains along a flat lake surface. Droids exchanged excited squeaks.

‘Why didn’t you want to place the government here?’ Rose asked, unable to take her eyes off the greenery around.

‘Because they don’t want the Lake Country to be spoiled by politics,’ Poe responded, increasing a speed and stroking the steering wheel. ‘A great thing, this one!’

Despite the abundance of other ships, the Lake Country was a striking contrast with Theed, and the silence in green and blue after the multi-colored and noisy capital was stunning. Finn, sensing the streams of Force surrounding them, mentally agreed with Rey: after Ahch-To, this was the best place for the life of the Force Dyad. Approaching the shore beyond which the mountains began, they, in accordance with the instructions, went through a wide square, which was filled with people only in the evening. Familiar figures emerged from the snow-white arbor in front and waved to them.

‘Here they are!’ Poe raised his fist, and Chewie growled loudly.

‘HOW GLAD I AM TO SEE YOU!’

BB-8 squealed joyfully and quickly rolled down the grass, commenting on the dubious appearance of local droids. Chewie was the fastest and grabbed a bunch of friends.

‘I WAS SURE YOU ALREADY GOT MARRIED! NOW I’LL BE ABLE TO SEE IT! AND IN SUCH A PERFECT PLACE!'

‘We wouldn't have done this without you, Chewie,’ Ben laughed.

‘How happy the General Organa would be,’ remarked C-3PO.

Rey freed herself from Wookiee's arms and immediately fell into the next.

‘I’m very glad you came! We have never had such distinguished guests - esteemed senators of the Highest Republic in person.’

She pulled back and looked at her friends with a smile. On the occasion of the meeting with the Queen Finn, Poe and Rose were clothed in white cloaks with a silver Resistance symbol on their chest. Over the months of life in the status of politicians in their appearance there were elusive changes suggested that aggressive negotiations were not excluded, but no longer had priority over diplomacy.

In the eyes of friends, Rey herself changed. Constant tension, as if mentally she was in a different place, disappeared. A hoop adorned with transparent stones flickered in her loose hair, and a light green outfit made them remember about children's tales of forest deities. It seemed that if there was a Jedi Sentinel on Naboo, then it was definitely not her.

‘I agree with Chewie - having heard about the Alders, we thought this had already happened,’ Finn said. Rey smiled shyly.

‘To be honest, we weren’t up to it in the early days. But then we finally decided to do something typical of ordinary people.’

She turned her head slightly, and Ben was right there. Like Rey, he looked relaxed and calm, and his light clothes let him pass for a wealthy local resident.

‘Well ... then congratulations,’ Finn said, shaking his hand. Ben looked at Rose.

‘I'm glad to meet you in person, Rose,’ he said softly.

She measured him with an attentive look, smiled and shook hands with him.

‘Me too, Ben. During the meeting, Queen Chantia said she was very pleased how things were going on here.’

‘None of the surviving supporters of the First Order are going to come here so far’, Poe added. ‘We’re absolutely sure of this, but if it changes, we’ll let you know right away.’ 

‘Thanks’, Ben answered seriously. ‘We’re always alert, as would not want to leave the planet any time soon.’

‘Speaking of the Queen,' Rey said, ‘how did the negotiations go?’

‘We offered good money for the first batch of plasma - in gratitude for the recent gifts of the First Order,’ said Poe. ‘The Queen promised to think, but it's just a formality.’

‘Excellent! As we go home, tell us what you saw on Ezida,’ Rey stated, resolutely taking Ben by the arm.

Friends hastened to assure her they had followed all instructions. In the greenhouse, they admired the blooming bright blue onsidiums and the rare Alderaan bresaols, which were used to make soothing tinctures. On the embankment, they examined the place where, according to Ben's project, a street stage for concerts and lectures by Theed academies will be erected. They threw food over a pond with variegated sigoi and watched a school of fish fly into the air and, frozen for a few moments, hide in the depths. BB-8 hastened to complain to Rey he was splattered.

‘You will be standing next to me tomorrow, I promise,’ the girl consoled him. She and Rose stepped aside, talking quietly about something.

‘Ben, can you tell us about the island’s control panel?’ Poe asked. ‘I want to understand what is needed to maintain plasma stability.’

‘Of course. It’s all about the interaction of charged plasma particles and the local metal…’ Ben smiled slightly and muttered under his breath, ‘It’s really interesting.’ 

‘Hey, don't eavesdrop!’ Rey exclaimed, jabbing a finger at him. Rose giggled.

Once in the house of Rey and Ben, the guests had to survive another shock. The apartments of the Resistance leaders on Chandrila were almost luxurious, but they could hardly be called a real home. Here they seemed to be in long-forgotten dreams. In the mansion there was a smell of flowers and spices from the kitchen, transparent lamps on the walls illuminated Ben's drawings with soft white light. The house gave the impression of a separate small galaxy, into which only a chosen few could get.

‘Is everyone living like that here? Then I understand why the streets are so empty,’ Poe said. ‘I would not want to go out either.’

‘Ben and I walk a lot around the Lake Country,’ Rey answered, locking the door and going into the kitchen. ‘The HoloNet gives it much less attention than Theed.’

‘Speaking of which,’ Poe continued. ‘R2, is everything ready?’

‘Yes, Mr. Dameron,’ 3PO helpfully translated. Ben frowned perplexedly, and Rey immediately appeared in the hall.

‘What is ready?’

Finn answered her.

‘Absolutely no ideas for a wedding present, so we had to work hard.’

‘I assure you, this is superfluous…’ Rey began, but he interrupted her.

‘Stop it. We pulled your faces from R2's memory and converted the proportions into computer code. One of our best engineers helped upload it to the HoloNet.’

‘Now, if someone tries to post your images,’ Rose added, ‘users will see... nothing. The network simply does not recognize them and will remove them as electronic slag.'

‘Is it possible?’ Rey gasped. He and Ben exchanged joyful looks.

‘Like the fact that the Force can bind people through time and space,’ Finn recalled. ‘Are you still surprised at something?’

Rey laughed and hugged her friends.

‘Ben and I avoid publicity anyway, but this is the best present you can imagine!’

‘It's not for nothing that we spent all morning in the kitchen,’ Ben remarked with a smile. Chewie let out a contented growl.

Following the owners, the guests went to the table and froze. A shod lamp illuminated a large dish of baked fish, bowls of smoked meat, vegetables and cheese. On the kitchen panel, a pie with amelanger berries was waiting for its turn.

‘Ben was cooking the fish, I was making the pie,’ Rey commented. They smiled at the same time, remembering how they were picking berries: Rey, sitting on Ben's shoulders, was robbing the upper branches, and he - the lower ones, sending half the crop to his mouth.

‘We need to get used to the new world,’ Poe muttered, expressing a general mixture of surprise and admiration. Ben exchanged a glance with Rey and winked at him.

‘May the Force be with you.’

***

Through the morning misty haze above the Solleu River, the rays of the sun shone through, illuminating the marble slabs in front of the royal palace. The dew on the rose bushes that adorned the gazebo on the embankment shimmered like stardust.

According to local traditions, Ben and Rey flew separately. Meeting the priest at the gazebo, Ben, along with Chewie and Poe, stepped aside.

‘I REMEMBER HOW YOUR FATHER GOT MARRIED’, Chewbacca said, looking around the empty park; on weekends, the citizens preferred to sleep longer. ‘THE HUGE HALL IN THE EMBASSY OF ALDERAAN WAS FILLED WITH PEOPLE. THE CEREMONY WAS BROADCASTED VIA THE HOLONET, AND BILLIONS saw…’

‘... my parents’ kiss for the first time as husband and wife, kneeling in front of Mon Mothma,' Ben agreed. ‘You and I were reviewing this record together, Chewie.’

‘NOW IT'S YOUR TIME, AND NOBODY EXCEPT US WILL NOT KNOW ANYTHING,’ the Wookiee flicked his fist on the snow-white railing.

‘And it is not necessary. You are enough,' Ben assured him. ‘Hope Lando’s in time for the beginning.’

‘I'm afraid, Chewie, there would be much more guests here than for Han and Leia,’ Poe said. ‘While the HoloNet would have dropped dead.'

Ben smiled wryly.

‘And the Jedi Sentinel always remain in the shadows.'

‘One question haunts me,' Poe began. ‘Coming back to the Light means you... started to believe in the Jedi Code again?’

‘Not really,' Ben answered after thinking. ‘Rey and I are a little out of tradition. Without abandoning our past, we accept both sides of the Force and do not divide the world into black and white. Emotions and peace, fear and hope cannot exist without each other. You accept it and then gain freedom.'

Poe nodded in understanding.

_ ‘Well said.' _

Ben straightened up and stepped forward to meet the familiar feeling of warmth. He saw Rey’s smile and smiled back; although they broke up less than an hour ago, the desire to be with each other again was very great.

At first, BB-8 rolled up to his feet, saying that the others were already nearby. Through the trees, between which a light mist was whitening, several figures flickered. Finn and Rose, beaming with smiles and looking around, were the first to go out onto the wide road leading from the palace to the gazebo, and stopped next to their friends. Behind them, a little slower, was Lando Calrissian, who led the bride by the arm. The procession was followed by 3PO holding the rings and R2-D2. Chewie purred happily, greeting his friend.

‘You have time!’ Ben smiled as they approached.

‘I'd never miss that moment,’ Lando answered. He hugged Ben tightly and patted him on the shoulders. ‘Very happy for you.’

Kissing Rey's cheek, Lando stepped aside, giving way to the priest. He gestured for Rey and Ben to climb into the gazebo and prepared to start the speech. Ben held out both hands, and Rey put hers in them.

Although she never concealed her outfit in her thoughts, he could not take eyes off her. Flowers with sharp petals, reminiscent of stars, were whitening in brown hair. A silk white-gold dress hid the scars on her chest and revealed shoulders. The fabric of the wide sleeves, starting at the elbows, fell in soft folds onto the hem embroidered with flowers.

‘It's like you left one of the paintings in the Royal Gallery,’ Ben said.

‘I ran away after you.’

Rey's eyes, let down by gold, gleamed gaily. She looked approvingly at the pearl gray cloak draped over a snow-white shirt. The edges fastened a brooch in the form of a chain with cubes at the ends - it was her gift.

_ ‘I begged you to agree to rule the galaxy together. And when my legal property was reduced to a piece of land in the greenhouse, you become my wife.’  _

_ ‘I never loved politics. Besides, you still have the title of prince.’ _

‘A loving person discovers within himself a power that did not even suspect existed’, said the priest, raising hands above their heads.

_ ‘Like, say, goes alone to the Snoke’s ship.’ _

‘Beloved one gains faith in himself, which even stars cannot shake.’

_ ‘And comes to fight the Sith Emperor with a blaster.’ _

The ceremonial speech quoted Naboo philosophers who spent many years on treatises about the need for creatures in the galaxy to look for loved ones in a spirit called love. Nothing in it was new to Rey and Ben; without taking their eyes off each other, they relived those moments when the parts of the once divided soul acted together. The fight with Snoke's bodyguards; a night of the endless talk on the Millennium Falcon; first days on Naboo.

The priest, who often had to deal with lovers on duty, could not take his eyes off their faces. If these two chose a later time for the ceremony, they would definitely be surrounded by a crowd. Of course, they did not shine in the traditional sense of the word - but still there was something  _ unearthly _ in the looks fixed on each other, and in smiles, behind which was hidden something more than joy.

‘The date of the marriage, as well as the names of the spouses of Ben and Reina Alder, are recorded in the city archives of Theed,’ he finished, showing the hologram of the blue table that the tablet screen emitted.

One of the witnesses sobbed as the C-3PO approached and filed rings made of translucent local Carnelian.

_ ‘It's nice to tell the truth about yourself without telling the truth’ _ , Rey thought, putting the ring on Ben's ring finger.  _ ‘Do you agree, Ben Solo, Prince of Alderaan?’ _

_ ‘Yes, Princess Rey Solo’ _ , he answered, putting the ring on hers.

The priest spread his hands, making it clear that the ceremony was over. Ben and Rey did not move. BB-8 rolled out from behind her and indignantly squealed a short exclamation, causing a common laugh.

Rey rose on tiptoe, and by the sun-gilded river, Ben Solo and she first kissed as husband and wife.


	5. At home

A quiet sound of hallikset came from the next room. It could be called gentle and even pleasant if Ben had not heard him every day. He rolled over on the other side and covered himself with a blanket with his head, hiding from the morning light. Rey began to move sleepily next to him.

‘Didn't we get rid of the music droid yesterday?’ Ben muttered, not opening his eyes.

‘I had to make a deal. The droid was in exchange for your calligraphy brushes.'

Ben groaned and buried his forehead in the pillow.

‘It has been almost two years of absolute power... Five was what I counted on at least.'

Rey laughed softly and, bending the corner of the blanket, kissed his cheek.

‘Don’t worry, you can still accept new members to the Order of silent artists.'

Not allowing herself to be pulled under the covers, she got out of bed and went into the nursery across from their bedroom.

‘And here are my little stars! Had a good night's sleep?’

The music faded. After a few moments, Ben heard familiar voices and, drawing his hand out from under the blanket, drummed his fingers on the bed. Another ritual in the Solo family.

Rey’s whisper was followed by a quiet laugh. Someone climbed onto their bed and crawled creeping toward him. Finally, warm little fingers covered his hand and a thin voice said:

‘Daddy!’

The other hand pulled down the blanket, and in front of Ben's eyes appeared the face of his daughter. In a sly smile slipped the features of her grandfather who was a great deal specialist, too. Ben put her on his stomach, caught hands in the air and tickled her palms.

‘I can’t hide from you, Al. Wanna look for new toys in the city today?’

‘And te music?’ the girl objected and pointed a finger at the doorway.

‘Music, as if I don’t know…’ Ben sighed. Getting out of bed, he threw his daughter into the air, caught and laid on his shoulder. Aelia wriggled with laughter and drummed fists on his shoulder, putting a smile on his face.

In the nursery, Rey took care of their son, Han. Standing on a rug with toys and waving a wooden ball, he was animatedly telling something in a language consisted of some slurred sounds. The boy saw Ben and joyfully opened his mouth, pulling the ball there.

‘Oi!’ Rey took the toy and, smacking his nose, pulled a clean shirt over his head. Aelia hastened to go down to her brother, and, having received the usual share of affection from their parents, the children set about building a ship for a plush porg from cubes and balls. Both inherited the blue-black curls of the father and the bright eyes of the mother.

It was time to cook breakfast, and then pack up the city for shopping — in the evening they were about to celebrate the end of the month of Velona, along with Poe, Chewie and the others, but Ben and Rey did not move. Often, while watching their children, they mentally return to the beginning of a new chapter in their life.

This happened a few weeks after the wedding, when they continued to live according to the usual schedule: training in the mountains, walking around Theed and the surrounding area, studying plants and drawings. That day in the Royal Theater they watched a play based on the ancient legend of Vere and Seth - two lovers from the Lake Country, separated by the will of their parents.

Already at home, the familiar feeling of peace in the Force suddenly flinched. A similar feeling can appear when you see a new star in a familiar celestial sector; or hear the sound of an unfamiliar note in music that used to be known from beginning to end. Someone else definitely appeared next to the Dyad - still unknown, but promising to prove himself soon in full measure.

Rey realized she was expecting a baby, but their common sense of happiness soon gave way to fear. Ben froze in suspense, not seeing anything around. As if waiting for their time, the scarlet tongues of flame in his imagination flickered with painfully bright and clear pictures. If the Balance is broken; if the Darkness reappears in the Force and begins to hunt for the soul of his child; if someday he feels the same despair in his son or daughter, anger at parents... will they handle it?

There was no air in the lungs. Rey sobbed strangledly, imagining a small figure against the backdrop of the ruins of a once beautiful temple, from which flames burst forth. Lonely and scared. Her legs gave way, and she almost fell on the carpet, dripping tears on the dress and the golden shawl. Ben slowly sank down beside her, hoping to calm her and get himself together at the same time. Hearing her cry was just slightly worse than his visions. In a past life, he would have been enraged by his own powerlessness and trashed half a house. But now he has hope.

‘The Balance, Rey.' A soft wheeze burst from the throat instead of words. Ben coughed and continued more firmly, taking her by the shoulders. ‘We are one with the Force.'

They breathed slowly and deeply. Visions did not disappear, but gradually subsided and faded. Having fully accepted their fear, they began to build barriers against it.

‘That will never happen,' said Ben. ‘We will not make the same mistakes.'

‘We will always be there,' Rey breathed, giving a promise to either her husband or her unborn baby.

‘We are Ben and Rey Solo, the Dyad of the Force, we love each other and can protect our family from anything,' Ben stated. ‘Together.'

Rey looked up and they nodded to each other. Dark memories will never fade, but that doesn’t mean they control their life. Crushing a frock coat, Ben sat down comfortably on the floor, pressing Rey to his chest. Their wedding rings sparkled side by side in the light of the plasma lamps.

‘Ben and Rey Solo,' Rey repeated with a faint smile. There was hope in the sounds of their names. Сourage and a reminder: if the Dyad is like life itself, no power in the world can stop it.

They spent months before Aelia’s birth in meditations, searching for the smallest traces of the Dark Side in the Force and repeating the mantras created on Ahch-To again and again. But the balance was maintained, the Jedi voices did not carry alarm, and over time, Ben and Rey allowed themselves to be distracted.

They decided to make a nursery in the room opposite their bedroom; moving Rey into the living room on the ground floor, away from the smell of paint, Ben went upstairs any free minute and painted huge canvases stretched over light walls.

The chain of multi-colored patterns encircling the room was a chronicle of the last decades. First, fireworks over the royal palace on Chandrila, at the door of which one could see three small figures. Then, following the Falcon flying just above and the tall Wookiee running after the boy, several small houses and a Jedi temple, over which the stars scattered. A girl with three bunches and a round droid in the sand dunes, outlined by a pair of delicate gold touches. Forest, and huts again, one of which has windows shining. On the other side of the window, from which the mountains were visible, a high gray throne. Two men with red and blue swords reflect the attack of eight scarlet figures. A motley field with yellow smoke and kites, where the inhabitants of Pasaana scattered like ants. The wall above is crossed by a spiral of X and TIE starfighters, surrounded by green and red rays. Two silhouettes with blue swords stand back to back, reflecting lightning strikes. A tall island in the midst of blue waves with small figures of porgs. Two huge suns over vaporators and sand hills. And a mansion with a turquoise dome on a pillow of roses, next to which stood, holding hands, a gold figure and a silver one.

When he finished and the paint was dry, Rey finally received an invitation to return to the second floor. Supporting a rounded belly, she froze in the middle of the room, looking around with wide eyes.

‘Perhaps we can add something,' Ben said. ‘Tell me if you have any ideas. I made stencils for holograms too, so that everything can be transferred wherever you want. If we have to leave Naboo, nothing will be lost.'

Rey touched a thin girlish figure by the throne of Snoke, without saying a word.

‘The child will definitely have something to do if we’re busy. And then, with drawings it is easier to tell fairytales and explain the essence of the Balance with a capital letter,' he smiled, wanting to provoke at least some reaction from her. His work definitely pleased her, but Rey still remained silent. The girl in her stomach pushed, and for a few moments, as if a live orchestra of light sounded in the room.

Rey's fingers went through the bright kites, and she pressed her hand to the chain he once gave her. She turned to Ben, and her overwhelming feelings almost blinded him.

‘If I hadn’t loved you,' Rey said quietly, ‘I would surely have fallen for now.'

  
  


‘Dada!’

‘Mommy!’

And all together:

'Te Faloon!’

Ben looked away from the kites. Aelia, leaning on her younger brother, straightened upright and pointed a finger at the finished transporter. Han looked impatiently at his parents who froze at the window.

‘To the Falcon, you say?’ Ben raised an eyebrow and waved a hand behind his back. ‘Or maybe even higher?’

Shivering, another project of Solo junior engineers took to the air and, flying past the painted Falcon, made a victory lap around the room, along with fighters. Han clapped his hands. Rey cried, very similar to portraying a porg, and the children rolled with laughter.

‘Meteor shower!’ she joined the game, throwing toys, socks and even pillows into the air. The small ship deftly maneuvered between all the obstacles and finally gently planned on the carpet in front of Aelia and Han. The children rushed to it and began to disassemble, animatedly discussing the new plan. Ben furtively pushed the turned off mouse-like music droid further away under Aelia’s bed.

‘Build more later,' said Rey with a laugh and picked her daughter up. ‘Breakfast first.'

Together with Ben carrying Han, who clenched his sleeve in a fist, they went down to the kitchen. While Rey was making breakfast, Ben put the children in levitating chairs, which also served as strollers. A home droid nicknamed Blue - a copy of the BB-8 with blue stripes – circled nearby and beeped, and the younger Solos did not take their prying eyes off him.

‘Thanks, Blue, we remember the cakes,' Rey said.

Taking the dishes from her, Ben managed to get a quick kiss, and the family finally sat down at the table.

‘Uncle Chewie will be upset if you don’t eat properly,' Rey warned Aelia, who picked porridge in a bowl. ‘He comes to visit us this evening.'

‘You really want to become as strong as he is,' Ben added, making sure that Han did not drop a bottle of milk.

The girl threw aside a naughty strand and reluctantly sent another spoon into her mouth with leaving some milk on her lips.

‘Wit’out wool.'

Rey burst out laughing, almost dropping the cup. Han dropped the bottle on the table with a loud exclamation and a single-tooth smile. Ben smiled, remembering that he himself answered Leia the same.

The time before Aelia’s personal meeting with Chewie flew by unnoticed - along the shopping streets of Theed, in the nursery when she and her brother were put to bed, and in the living room, where Ben once again checked the final drawings commissioned by the Theed administration before being sent. After making sure that everything was ready by evening, the Solo couple settled on the couch on the veranda: her legs were thrown over him, the hair gathered in a bun fanned out under his hands. Despite the fact that the children required almost constant supervision, they still managed to find time for each other.

_ Aelia and Han. Two little stars in the Force, which were not touched by the alien Darkness and which presented them with surprises every day. Both times Rey broke her connection with the Force for fear of losing control of her feelings and destroying the hospital. At first Ben, unable to help her, almost went crazy and was saved only by endless games of dejarik. He appealed to the Force and prayed to save her and the child’s lives - if necessary, at the cost of his own. Turned out fine for all of them, but he could hardly stand on his feet when the medical droid put Aelia in his arms – she was small, fragile and sobbed quietly, with a cap of black hair and a birthmark above the left eyebrow. No less strong confidence joined the long-lived feeling of love inside him: if someone - or something - wants to harm her, then they will not find refuge even in the Unknown regions. _

_ 'She seems to shine, Ben... like the sun,' Rey leaned her forehead against his cheek and ran her fingers across her daughter’s face - exhausted, but happy. Having again found each other in the Force and not feeling anything disturbing in the soul of their daughter, both of them found peace. _

_ 'So we chose the right name.' _

_ After almost a year and a half of laughter and tears, endless lullabies, walks and toys from different parts of the galaxy from the leaders of the Newest Republic, another crib appeared in the painted room. Aelia, who by that time had managed to show both the rare stubbornness and the enormous tenderness that her parents were distinguished with, looked with curiosity at the squeaking bundle in Rey’s hands and guessed that it had somehow been connected with strange things lately. After arriving at the hospital and the disappearance of her mother, Dad clutched a plush Wookiee in his hands and closed his eyes from time to time. In her mind, tiny sparks seemed to slip, but sitting on his lap, she did not attach importance to them. Meanwhile, Han Solo announced his smooth birth with a loud cry, which they managed to stop not very soon. Since then, Aelia has been helping parents and  _ _ her brother as much as she can (namely, she did not scream at the same time) and, over time, he joined her favorite game - building ships for a porg or a Wookiee. _

Ben decided to grow a beard, and she was still getting used to tickling. Rey remembered her  daughter’s words with a smile.

‘Do you know what Aelia’ll say next time?’ she asked, running a finger along his cheekbone. ‘That it’s her dad who always wanted to be strong like a Wookiee - and that’s how the wool appeared.'

Ben laughed.

‘This reason always used to be effective. Still, children grow up too fast.'

‘You’re right. We’ll start to teach her to drive a speeder next year, aren’t we?’

Ben lowered his head to her chest and closed his eyes, inhaling the smell of floral perfume. There was silence around, broken only by the distant singing of birds. The sun, leaning toward the water, drew golden rays between the trees, creating red reflections on the eyelids. Rey's hand slowly stroked his shoulder. Perhaps people or other creatures will soon appear in the Force to become the new generation of the Jedi; or they may have to leave Naboo. But this minute everything around was absolutely right as it should - and they wanted it to last forever. Somewhere beyond, there was still a fear of loss, but they learned to live with it.

It took a long time to understand that this fear, no matter what the Jedi of the past said, is a natural feeling. And when Rey saw Ben Solo's eyes for the first time, it became clear that defeated fear can become a source of tremendous power - for the fight for love and life with a sense of happiness.

_ 'Our life turned out to be more beautiful than my wildest dreams. And yet the thought does not let go that one day we will not be able to make out the darkness beyond the light.'  _

A bright string of images that spoke for themselves flashed before their eyes.

_ ‘You can never get rid of her. But we have something stronger: when we first felt Aelia, we agreed we could deal with anything together.'  _

_ ‘Ben and Rey Solo. Remember how you said you cannot get rid of me?’  _

Rey smiled and ran a hand through his hair.

_ ‘I definitely won’t allow that happen.' _

Ben raised his head to meet her lips.

  
  


In the evening, a small courtyard filled with voices. Chewie, running, crouching and spinning in a top, rolled screeching Aelia and Han on his shoulders. Poe discussed with Ben the designs of new supersonic patrol ships while playing dejarik. BB-8 enviously watched Blue's flights on small jet engines and clearly intended to discuss them later with his owner. Lando told Rey at the refreshment table about the latest successes of Jannah’s child adaptation program; Finn was now actively engaged in it. The HoloNet had been talking about it for many months, and Rey felt incredible pride in her friend. The day before, he sent a message from Datomir with an apology and a promise to bring a rare sample of local flora for her garden. A message was also sent by Rose, who was celebrating far from here with Beaumont and little Page.

‘Da-da!’ called Han. 

Chewie sat down next to the game table and handed the boy to his father. Leaning against Ben's chest, he turned round eyes from one shining figure to another. Aelia, sitting on Chewie’s lap, absentmindedly combed his hair with her fingers.

‘BETTER DON’T TOUCH A HOUJIX, OR HE WILL TAKE IT IN TWO MOVES,' Chewie advised Poe.

‘Anything goes in the fight against two Solos at once,' said Poe, moving another figure.

‘Hey, it's not fair!’ Ben exclaimed, and he and Han looked at the Wookiee with the same expression of shock on their faces. Lando watched them laughing.

‘Han Sr. loved messing with his son too, but he was always timid. Looks like it’s not a big deal for Ben, though.'

Rey shook her head.

‘He loves Han and Aelia very much. He wants them to know he’s always here.'

Lando squinted at the hidden meaning of these words.

‘Han made many mistakes and wasn’t an ideal father. But he never stopped loving Ben, I know that for sure. He didn’t understand what the Force was doing to him, and was afraid to hurt. Then it became obvious: all that was needed was to be there, to reassure, to remind they’re a family. Even the Jedi need this. Very sad.' 

He sipped his wine and sighed.

‘In the end, Han did it. He and Leia brought him home,' Rey softly answered.

‘I’d say they pointed the way,' Lando circled the courtyard, illuminated by the lanterns on the trees. ‘It was you who gave him home.'

Rey turned her head and met Ben's eyes, listening to their conversation. Surrounded by friends, with Han on his knees and Aelia snuggling to his side, he smiled. He and she both really were at home.

In the distance, salutes rumbled.

‘It begins!’ - exclaimed Rey. They all rushed to the balcony, from where a magnificent view of the mouth of Solleu and the outskirts of Theed opened. From there was supposed to appear the parade of watercrafts passing through the entire capital. In the evening sky, sparkling flowers and constellations of fireworks blossomed with a roar over the city. Every minute they came closer. The droids let out a rapturous whistle that mixed with the babble of Han and Aelia.

A few minutes later the parade got very close.

‘Look, look!’ Poe pointed the children at the river. 

On the moonlit expanse of the lake, large water ships slowly adorned with ribbons, flags and garlands. Actors in luminous costumes of ancient deities flickered on the decks; they danced around tall installations, from which bright rays burst into the sky. Han was in Lando’s arms and waved his hands enthusiastically, looking back at his parents with a smile. Aelia, being held tightly by Poe and Chewie, stood on the wide railing and held out her hands to the multi-colored lights enchantedly, as if calling them.

The faces of Rey and Ben, standing side by side, lit up with red and blue flashes. Aside from the bustling city and neighbors, surrounded by tall trees and mountains, it was easy to imagine that all this splendor was arranged in their honor. As if they really began to rule the galaxy together, as Kylo Ren once wanted. Rey could not help smiling: his desires could not be compared with the  _ real _ life of Ben Solo - from the appearance on Exegol to the present moment surrounded by his family and friends. And they were dwarfed by her life too. The family easily replaces all the star systems.

Twisting fingers with Rey, Ben shared her joyful thoughts, heard the hearty laugh of their children and enjoyed a sense of peace. As a boy, he promised to finish what his grandfather had started, and he really did it. By escaping from the maze of darkness; by achieving the balance between it and the light; and by finding his own place in the galaxy.

***

A few years later, the stars above the Lake Country faded at dawn dusk. The house, hidden from prying eyes, was immersed in silence. Laying close to each other, Ben and Rey slept without dreams. In place of Exegol's purple scars, there were barely noticeable winding lines to which, according to their children, it would be nice to add flowers. Behind the door of the nursery across from the bedroom, where the faithful Blue had stood guard, the plasma lamps dimly illuminated the ink silhouettes of the ships above the beds.

In a dream, children traveled the worlds with tempting names from fairy tales told the day before. Each time they managed to hear something new in the stories about magic swords. About a boy from the desert who met an angel. About a farmer, who went with a space pirate on the Millennium Falcon to save the princess (the pirate was Aelia's favorite). About a fearsome giant who saved his son from the evil demon and again became a man (Han was always happy here). About brave Rebels who dispersed the darkness on the X-fighters (a common delight). About the wedding of the princess and the pirate. About a girl with no family who went on a journey and found a magic sword. About her meeting with the prince, who hid his face behind the mask of a monster. About how love made him take it off and fight against demons on different planets. About how the girl saved him from death by a kiss and became a princess. About angels from islands in the ocean that brought them to the wonderful planet of flowers and water.

The story of the Prince and the Princess Rey and Ben always told in a special way, and the children felt it perfectly. The younger ones - the twins, Leor and Padmé, who were only a few months old - always blurred in smiles and ruffled chestnut curls falling to dark eyes. Like his brother, Leor was delighted when it came to the duel between the Dyad (that's an interesting word) and the main demon, who would never again threaten them. Padmé was sure that it was the angel who appeared in the desert at the very beginning who later showed the heroes the way to the magical planet. She was eager to share this thought when she learns to speak.

After a few hours, the Solo family will wake up and board the ship with the droid to go to another planet. They will fly over the city, gain altitude and disappear in a flash of a hyperjump, followed by the gaze of Padmé Amidala.

Once she saw how a feeling of love degenerated into darkness, which almost destroyed the whole world. Now the galaxy was saved by the same love that became the light.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote the first part in 3 days after watching TROS hearing and seeing the characters in my head. I felt an unyielding need to fix everything I saw according to principles of justice, hope, love and redemption that have always been a part of Star Wars.
> 
> Several weeks later, after seeing so many beautiful artworks and videos and reading fascinating fanfics, some more ideas came to me. They turned into 4 more parts.


End file.
